


Birds Of A Feather

by JoyfullyMellowTyrant



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Clothed Sex, Dom/sub, Edging, Enabler, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Grinding, Incest, Light Bondage, Notice the parallels dammit I worked hard on those, Overstimulation, Ruby is a brat, Sex Toys, Sibling Incest, Sister-Sister Relationship, Strawberry Sunrise - Freeform, Surprises, Switching, Vaginal Fingering, Vibrators, Yang is a switch too, but she doesn't know that yet, does this count as fluff?, seems fluffy, switch - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 10:01:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29416839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoyfullyMellowTyrant/pseuds/JoyfullyMellowTyrant
Summary: While visiting Vale with her mom to meet her father for the first time, Yang stops at a bar and meets a cute girl with a nice smile. And silver eyes.You read the tags, you know what happens.Also cameoing Raven, being a total disaster.
Relationships: Ruby Rose/Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 7
Kudos: 102





	Birds Of A Feather

**Author's Note:**

> If parts of this story seem rushed, it's probably because they are. This was supposed to be a New Year's story, but I started super late, kept getting drunk, wrote about 70% of this story in three days, then ran out of time and crashed hard.  
> I noticed Valentine's Day was coming up, so I'm just pushing this out now before I manage to forget about it again. Once again I started late, though, and I rambled on way longer than I meant to, so a couple parts are still basically first draft material. The only reason it got finished at all is way to much coffee and not enough sleep, so be gentle.

It took Yang approximately fifteen minutes to ditch her mom after they got to Vale. Just long enough to mark the location of their hotel on her phone and dump her stuff before hopping on Bumblebee and heading downtown. 

She didn’t know much about her dad, and basically nothing at all about his new family. But from what she did know- mostly from listening to her mom’s various long-winded, aimless ranting over the past few weeks- she kind of doubted they’d be down to go bar hopping with her. So tonight was probably the only chance she’d have to explore the coastal city’s nightlife, and she wasn’t planning on wasting any of it with her mother. 

It was a short ride, barely even worth driving, but the sun was already almost setting by the time she made it, pulling up outside one of the busier looking ports. The actual building itself wasn’t all that impressive- short and flat, and even with the exotic street art sprayed across the walls it looked more like a big brick than anything. But it had a great view of the beach, with an elevated deck hanging off the front and sides, and surrounding it was a wide cobblestone courtyard, littered with various tables and benches, and even a few propane fire pits for when it got dark. Already there was a decent crowd milling around, and she could hear music from inside. 

Definitely different from the multistory clubs she was used to in Mistral, but she was always down to try something new, and she doubted she’d find a place like this back home. There wasn’t an actual parking lot, instead it seemed like people just parked their cars on any open bit of curb along the street. Following their example, she left her bike near the corner, locking it in place before heading in. 

The inside of the building wasn’t much more impressive than the outside. It was mostly just one big room that looked like it might have been a warehouse once. At the back there was a huge set of wall-to-wall doors that were pulled wide open, leading directly out into the gravel courtyard. There was a dance floor, minus the flashing lights she was used to, and instead of a DJ there was an actual band. A rare sight in Mistral, but they looked right at home here. 

Picking up a drink from the bar, she did a circuit around the building, and then the courtyard outside. There was a game of horseshoes going in one corner. In another, a group of people had pulled together a bunch of empty trash cans and were playing what looked like giant beer pong with a soccer ball, with much whooping and groaning.

It was nice, she decided. Very casual. A lot more relaxed than her usual haunts. Good place to unwind. Not really what she was looking for, though. She doubted she would be here long, already making plans about where to go next. Maybe further in, away from the beach, things might get more exciting. She settled at one of the tables to at least finish her drink and let the band finish their song. They weren’t bad, even if she didn’t recognize a single thing they played. A few guys came up to her while she waited, and she tried to let them down gently, firmly turning down any offers to buy her a drink. Somewhat surprisingly, they got the message and left, drifting away to mingle somewhere else, and she spent the next few minutes taking sips and tapping her foot, nodding along to the music. It was growing on her, a little bit. 

She paused with her glass at her lips when she heard a bright laugh. The sound sliced through the din of the rest of the bar like a blade, yanking her attention away. It sounded—familiar, though she couldn’t place it. Brows furrowed, she set her drink down and turned, sweeping across the crowd to try to find the source. When she did she jerked to a halt, eyes stopping like they’d hit a wall. 

The girl was gorgeous. Dark red hair framed a heart shaped face, lit up with a wide, easy smile. She was wearing a loose black tank top that revealed defined arms, and a pair of tiny red running shorts that left her legs entirely bare. And they were toned- no, not just toned, _muscular_ , obvious even from so far away. They were tanned, clearly no strangers to sunlight, and stretched on like they might go forever. One sandaled foot was hooked around the leg of a stool, while the other hung loose, bobbing lightly in the air. 

She was young- younger than Yang, by a couple years at least, and she had to wonder how she’d gotten into the bar in the first place. As Yang watched she laughed, head tilting back and eyes falling shut, and once again the sound reached her from across the room, tickling her ears like a siren’s call. 

Before she even realized it she’d stood up, leaving her drink on the table. The brief gap in the crowd closed, hiding the girl from view, but she pushed her way through, ignoring the complaints thrown after her as she cut a straight line across the room. 

And abruptly broke through, sooner than she expected. Yang had to pull up short to avoid crashing into her, slamming to a stop barely a foot away. The girl turned, one eyebrow rising at her sudden entrance, and Yang was stuck like a deer in headlights. _Silver_ , was her first thought. Her eyes were pure silver. 

The girl’s eyebrow rose higher. “Uh. Hey?” She looked vaguely uncomfortable, and Yang realized she was staring. “You need something?” 

Yang rallied, pasting a cocky grin across her face. “Sorry. I thought I recognized you from across the room, but guess not. I’d definitely remember meeting you.” 

The girl’s other eyebrow rose to join the first, looking at her disbelievingly. Then she snorted. “Wow. Starting off strong, huh.” But she turned towards her as she said it, and Yang laughed, relieved that she hadn’t ruined her chances before she even started. God, it was good to be hot. Yang pulled out the chair next to her, sliding in so she was sitting sideways. “I was just giving you the chance to be stunned by my amazing personality.” And then unzipped her jacket, just in case she wasn't being obvious enough.

The girl followed, spinning around to face her, and belatedly Yang noticed the guy she’d been talking to before she came over. He was glaring at her over the girl's head, mouth twisted in an annoyed grimace. _Oops_. A moment later though he sighed and shoved off the bar, apparently admitting defeat. Scooping up his drink, he turned away and wandered off towards the door, disappearing into the crowd. 

“Oops.” Yang looked back to see the redhead staring after him guiltily. “Probably shouldn’t have axed him so hard, huh?” 

Yang chuckled awkwardly. “My bad.” She grimaced, scratching her cheek. “Didn’t see him there.” 

Little Red flicked her wrist dismissively. “Nah. He was kinda a jerk anyways.” She said, turning back towards her. “I mean, not really, but I’m gonna say that anyways, ‘cause it makes me feel better.” 

It was Yang’s turn to snort. “Wow. At least I know if I strike out, you’ll talk shit about me to the next person who comes up to bat.” 

Red leaned against the bar and propped her cheek on her fist, watching her with a grin. “He was doing better than you, by the way.” 

Yang mirrored her, waving a hand. “Pssha, yeah right. I’m smooth as hell. I’ll have you know that before I came over here, I had this whole thing planned out.” 

“Really.” 

“Yeah. It was an awesome plan, to. Was totally gonna sweep you off your feet.” 

She tilted her head to the side, and a strand of hair fell across her face before she swept it back behind her ear. “Uh huh. And what, you just forgot this master plan the second you got over here?” 

“Well, it’s not my fault you smiled at me.” 

She groaned and took a drink from her mostly empty glass, but was to slow to hide the way her lips twitched upward. “Wow. And the fall back plan is just cheesy pick up lines?” 

Yang scoffed. “Please. They were always part of the plan.” 

She laughed at that, leaning back against the bar, watching her. She seemed to consider her for a second before making up her mind. “I’m Ruby.” 

Yang grinned. Progress. That was a point for her. “Yang.” 

Waving down the bartender, Yang held up a pair of fingers. “Hey. I’ll take two more, uh.” She looked down at Ruby’s drink, realizing she didn’t actually know what it was. It wasn’t a beer or a cocktail or anything easily recognizable, just some amber liquid in a tumbler that could have been a dozen different things. 

Ruby took pity and finished for her. “Two Roses. On the rocks.” 

Fuck, she had great taste, too. This girl was going to kill her. 

“Kinda strong to be drinking before the sun’s even down.” Yang observed. “Sure you want to start with this?” 

Ruby rolled her eyes. “If you want to buy something cheaper, go ahead.” She finished her drink just as the bartender returned, placing another glass in front of her. She grabbed it immediately, sliding him her empty one, before eyeing Yang, who’s own glass was still sitting next to her hand. “Or can you just not handle whiskey?” 

Yang almost laughed at that. A Branwen that didn’t drink whiskey? The joke wrote itself. “Please. I live on whiskey.” Yang said, taking a swig. Twisting around, she kicked at Ruby’s ankle teasingly. “Maybe I’m just wondering where a pipsqueak like you is planning on putting all this away at. You look, like, fifteen.” 

Ruby’s grin immediately dropped into a glower. Nerve: touched. She kicked right back, hard enough to make Yang’s ankle throb. “I’m twenty one. Why? You like fifteen year olds?” 

Ouch. She marked a point down for Ruby. 1-1. 

Still. She wasn’t just going to take that lying down. “But you are a pipsqueak.” She pointed out, smirking. 

“Oh, that is it.” Ruby sat forward, lifting her glass and staring at her challengingly over the rim. “Grab your drink. You are going _down_ , blondie.” 

Yang lifted her glass to her lips with a smile, waiting until Ruby tipped hers back before saying, “That’s the plan.” 

Ruby practically inhaled her drink, nearly spewing it out her nose. Yang took a sip, watching her blush and stutter, amused. Not quite as suave as she seemed, eh? Yang added another tally to her side. 2-1. 

Ruby floundered. “I- no- shut up. You’re stupid.” 

Yang chuckled. “Oooh. Scathing.” 

“Shut _uuuup_.” She whined plaintively, hunching over and pressing her palms over her eyes, sounding all of ten years old and looking absolutely adorable. Her mouth was just so kissable when she pouted like that, Yang couldn’t help but stare. 

Still not looking up, Ruby slid her drink in her direction. “Here. Buy me another, since you made me spill this one.” 

Really, Yang couldn’t argue with that. Honestly, she didn’t think she could argue with a damn thing Ruby said, as long as she was still looking so fucking cute. Yang knew herself well enough to already know that she was going to fall hard for this girl. And frankly, she couldn’t wait. Catching the bartender’s eye, she lifted her glass and tapped the side with her nail, silently asking for another. 

Ruby finally looked back up when her drink arrived, wrapping her hands around it. Cheeks still flushed, she shot Yang a look from the corner of her eye, lips lifting up in a smile. Not the one she’d given her before- a little softer, a little more open, tinged with embarrassment, and so goddamn genuine it made Yang’s breath catch. 

“Thanks.” She said, still smiling as she lifted it to her lips. 

Yang swallowed, trying to clear the lump from her throat. “No problem.” She choked out. 

Ruby’s smile grew, becoming devilish, and her eyes glinted. “You’re still going down, by the way.” 

It was Yang’s turn to cough, and then she laughed, tipping back her drink. God, she was so fucked. 

A few hours later and Yang was on her fifth glass, she thought, but her last drink had been sitting forgotten so long the ice had melted completely, and she was only pleasantly buzzed. She’d lost track of how many Ruby was on, but she was certain she’d at least been matching her, and she wasn’t showing any sign of slowing. A small part of Yang was crying at the thought of her poor bank account. The rest of her was in love. She nearly forgot about the rest of the bar, stuck in her little bubble of space with Ruby, the sound outside fading away to nothing but dull white noise. The air was warm and syrupy thick, and seemed to press down on her skin like a blanket, wrapping them up together. 

At some point, the conversation had turned away from aimless banter. Ruby had mentioned her accent, Yang had told her she was from Mistral, and somehow she was now droning on about her soap opera of a family. 

“My parents split when I was a kid. Don’t really know why, but apparently it was bad. Pretty sure my mom tried to kill him, and she said something about him stealing her refrigerator or something. Dunno. Doesn’t matter. Anyway, they never speak again, right? Until, like, a month ago, apparently, when she corners me and says we’re going to Vale for Valentines, and that we’re going to be spending it with my dad.” 

Ruby’s eyebrows wobbled upwards. “Wow. Seriously? Just dumped it on you out of nowhere?” Her face was flushed, and despite her tone her mouth was stretched wide in a slightly crooked smile, revealing a dimple on one cheek. Her eyes were just a little to bright, burning like silver limelights focused unwaveringly on her. “That’s messed up. I kinda get it, though. My dad did the same thing, like, two weeks ago. Waited ‘till dinner and just told me and my mom that his ex-wife was coming over for the holidays. Like, really? For serious?” 

Yang coughed on her drink, staring in disbelief. “What, really? His ex? On _Valentine's Day_?” She winced sympathetically. What a fucking ass. “Damn. That’s so fucked. But, I mean, it’s not like-” She waved an arm vaguely off to the side, not really sure what she was trying to say but still feeling the need to say it. “My mom’s cool, ya’ know. Usually. For an old lady. And, it’s not like she’s trying to get back with him, or anything. Pretty sure she’d rather die than see him again, actually. But, well. I used to ask her about him a lot, I guess. When I was a kid. Wanted to know about him. And, well. I think she figured I should at least meet him. I doubt she picked Valentine’s on purpose- probably just made up her mind to go on the next holiday that came up, and didn't realize what it was.” Sounded like something she would do. Her mom could be a total mess sometimes. “I’m pretty sure it’s, like, her new year’s resolution, or something.” 

“Well, that’s nice. At least she’s trying to make you happy. In that pushy parent kinda way.” Ruby went to take a drink, only to stare down at her glass in disappointment when she realized it was empty. Without a second thought, Yang pushed her own towards her, earning a bright grin. “Thanks.” She said, taking a sip, and not even complaining about how watered down it was. “My dad is- I dunno. He’s- well, I was gonna say cool, but he’s definitely not. Totally in love with my mom, though. Would do anything for us. So, we both know he’s not, like, trying to hook up with her again, or whatever. But he’s a total sucker.” She played with her glass, rolling it around on the table between her fingers. “I’m pretty sure he was the one to invite his ex over, actually. Because, ya know, he’s an idiot. Turns out he had a kid with her before she left. He's mentioned her a couple times, but I guess I just never really thought about it.” 

Yang hummed, turning that over in her head. “Huh. So, what, he just wants to meet his daughter? That’s not so bad.” Still, what a moron. Leaning over, she nudged Ruby with her elbow. “Plus, you get to meet your secret sis. That’s cool, right?” 

Ruby’s had bobbed in agreement. “Yeah, I guess. Siblings are cool.” She still looked a little put out, though, so Yang searched around for something to cheer her up. It shouldn’t exactly be hard; Ruby was without a doubt the most cheerful person she’d ever met. Noticing her empty glass, Yang twisted around and raised an arm, calling over to the bartender. “Hey, Junior! Two more.” 

The old guy behind the bar stopped what he was doing and sent her a look, his shaggy white eyebrows so thick she could barely see his eyes, and belatedly she remembered that she wasn’t in Mistral anymore. 

Ruby shot her a stern look that was completely ruined by the smile it was utterly failing to hide. “At least _one_ of us has to be able to drive, Yang.” She admonished. 

Yang grinned victoriously, immediately forgetting her slip. “Oh?” She asked, gripping the edge of the bar and sliding towards her, leaning in close. “Does that mean I get to follow you home?” 

Ruby blushed prettily, apparently just realizing what she had implied. Mentally, Yang marked down another tally on her side. 25-22. 

A moment later though Ruby rallied, leaning sideways against the bar and grinning. “I don’t know. Will you stop trying to get me drunk if I say yes?” Despite her protest, she wasted no time snatching up her new drink after the barman set it in front of her. Yang watched with amusement. 

“Pretty sure I already got you drunk.” 

“It’s not _my_ fault you’ve been following me around with drinks all night.” 

“Mom always said to follow my dreams.” 

Ruby snorted into her glass, barely avoiding spitting it all over the floor. Coughing a few more times, Ruby grinned, looking up at her with watery eyes. “God, you’re _awful_.” She said, hunched over and laughing helplessly. 

Yang drank in the sound, feeling inordinately pleased to have been the one to cause it. 26-22. 

Ruby shoved her away, and Yang nearly tipped over, having to catch herself on the bar. Shorty was stronger than she looked. Ruby wiped her fingers across her eyes, still giggling. “But seriously, my house is a no-go unless you want to meet my parents.” 

“I got a room.” Yang assured her, and a little thrill rushed through her, because fuck yeah, this was happening. “It’s actually only, like, a mile away. We could just walk it if you want.” Her mom had made sure they got separate rooms, having learned a long time ago that Yang wasn’t afraid to bring guests home while she was there. She’d given up on trying to stop her, just throwing up her hands and muttering about how she was even more shameless than her father. 

Plus, Yang was the one paying for their hotels these days, anyway. 

Ruby grinned at her, eyes bright, blush still on her cheeks. “Sounds like a plan.” She said, sliding Yang’s drink towards her before grabbing her own and throwing her head back, downing it in one go. 

Yang did the same and stood, shoving away from the bar. And then had to pause to sway back, rocking unsteadily. Huh. Maybe she’d drank more than she’d thought. Ruby popped up next to her, looking far to stable for someone who’d been drinking like she had, latching onto her arm and dragging her towards the door like an overexcited puppy. 

Yang laughed, letting herself be towed along. “And you said my plan was stupid.” 

Ruby shot her a look. “Crappy pickup lines and whiskey _is_ stupid.” 

“Hey. My crappy lines _worked_ , thank you very much.” She pointed out smugly, and Ruby spun around to jab a finger in her face. 

“You're not the only one who can do bad pickup lines!” She cried, and Yang could literally see the whiskey-laden gears struggling to turn behind her eyes. “Are you, uh- Are you an oven? ‘Cause you’re hot.” 

A snort burst out of her and she bent over, nearly falling from laughing, slapping her thigh. “You- you got me.” Yang gasped, wiping tears from her eyes, smiling down at Ruby’s glare. “That was definitely bad.” 

Ruby tried to keep up her glower, but it cracked quickly, and she devolved into giggles, which just made Yang laugh louder. She bumped her with her shoulder, and Ruby shoved back, slapping at her arm repeatedly. 

It was several minutes before their laughter subsided and they resumed their walk. They lapsed into an easy silence for a moment, and Ruby stared ahead, a considering look on her face. “Who gets that point?” She wondered absently, mostly to herself. 

A part of Yang caught on the fact that Ruby had also apparently been keeping score. The rest of her was far to warm and giddy to really care, immediately jumping on the opportunity. “I did. 27-22.” 

Ruby instantly puffed up, offended. “What?! No, it’d be 26-23!” She exclaimed. Then, a moment later. “Plus that should be my point, anyway. You laughed. That means I won.” 

“Alright, fine.” Yang conceded, because yeah, that was true. “I’ll give you that. That’s still only 26-23.” 

“It’s _25-24_!” Ruby insisted hotly. Apparently, she was just as competitive as Yang. “What, do you honestly think you won that round where you called your own ass ‘The _Hind-_ enburg’?” 

“That’s a fricken’ awesome name and you know it. That’s, like, an instant win.” 

“The guy _two seats over_ got up and left because that was so bad. You literally ended his night with that joke.” 

“That guy was a dick.” Yang dismissed easily, having no idea what guy she was talking about. “I shoulda got two points for that. 28-22” 

“ _That’s not even_ **_close_** _!_ ” 

Ruby complained loudly, but Yang held firm against her increasingly vehement protests. Neither of them were willing to budge, so in the end they just dismissed the round all together, dropping a point from both their scores. Ruby sulked for a while over her lost point, but with the alcohol combined with her own cheery disposition, it didn’t last long. 

They wandered down the sidewalk in the general direction of the hotel, bumping shoulders every few steps until Yang tossed an arm around her. She had meant to had straight back, but Ruby grabbed her elbow and tugged her around a corner towards the beach, bouncing excitedly, and Yang could only follow along helplessly. 

Tension filled the air between them, simmering like a promise. Yang could feel nervous energy sizzling under her skin, anticipation making her stomach clench, a hard coil of heat winding itself just below her navel. Despite that, though, neither of them were in any hurry, both content to let it smolder quietly. 

Even in the middle of February the night was warm, and there was a breeze coming off the ocean, filling the air with salt. The stars were out, the moon near full, and the lamps shone with red lights, dying the path a dark crimson. For the turtles, Ruby said, then spent the next far to many minutes fumbling through an explanation. Ruby pointed out a tree she’d fallen out of when she was thirteen, and then a shack that she’d borrow boards from when she wanted to surf. They paused at a little skate park that she used to frequent when she was younger, and Yang wasn’t sure who started it, but somehow she found herself running up and down the ramps like an idiot, competing to see who could do the best trick despite the fact that neither of them had a board. They made up for it by making stupid noises with their mouths as they went. Ruby jumped off the rail, yelling ‘kick flip!’ and waving her legs wildly in the air, and Yang one-upped her with a three-sixty. Ruby tried to start a wave, which failed miserably, as she was the only one in the audience. 

It finally ended when Yang slipped on one of the ramps, sliding down it and ending up on the ground, flat on her back. Ruby flopped down next to her, laughing and claiming victory, and Yang had to concede, practically melting under her bright grin. 

They sat on the ground, laying back against the slope of the ramp and leaning towards each other so their shoulders pressed together. “I’m pretty sure this is the best night of my life.” Ruby declared. 

“Most girls wait until _after_ we’ve had sex to say that.” Yang said, and Ruby laughed. And then rolled over so that she was laying on top of her, sending a sudden jolt of energy down her spine. The heat that she’d nearly forgotten about suddenly flared bright in her stomach, making her muscles tighten. Ruby grinned down at her impishly, face only inches away, close enough for Yang to feel the heat radiating from her skin. “I think we can fix that.” 

Yang grinned right back, sparks buzzing under her skin. She reached up to press a hand to the side of Ruby’s face, the other snaking around her waist, letting her eyes trail down towards her lips. “Sounds like a plan.” And then she slipped her hand around to cradle the back of her head, pulling it down. 

Ruby’s lips were clumsy, likely still a little numb from the alcohol, pressing against her to hard. Yang couldn’t care less. She pressed harder, tugging Ruby’s head toward her, and Ruby mirrored her, hands sliding into her hair and dragging her up. Yang hummed, flicking her tongue out to run over her lips, tasting bourbon and strawberries. She barely managed to pull back in time when Ruby’s teeth clicked together, playfully trying to catch her tongue, making Yang growl and do the same, nipping at her lips. 

If she was being honest, it wasn’t her best performance. She was way to relaxed at the moment to really give it her all. Still, she gave it a good shot, and when she broke away Ruby was breathing hard, eyes hot and bright. She pushed herself up onto her hands and licked her lips, looking down at her intently. “We should get to that hotel now.” 

Yang laughed. “Oh? Someone’s eager.” She said, and Ruby rolled her eyes. “Please. Like you haven’t been trying to see down my shirt since you sat down.” 

Damn. She’d thought she was being subtle. 24-24. 

She staggered to her feet, Ruby hanging off her arm the whole way, giggling loudly. Yang pretended to over balance, acting like she was falling, and Ruby shrieked, clinging to her neck, making her laugh. 

As they started their walk back, she stayed close, nearly touching. Ruby rocked onto her heels, leaning back so that Yang caught her, tucking her into her side. She grinned up at her, face bright. “This is great. We should do this again. You wanna, like, hang out later?” 

Yang breathed a laugh. “Are you asking me out?” 

Silver eyes blinked, looking faintly surprised. “Huh. Guess I am.” 

Yang squeezed her once, leaning down to plant a kiss on her hair. “Then hell yeah. We’re totally hanging out.” 

They kept walking, and Ruby stared when she finally realized which hotel Yang was taking her to, mouth dropping open. “Wait. You’re staying _here_? Are you, like, rich or something?” She asked, tilting her head back to stare up at the building in awe. Yang chuckled, a little awkwardly. “I, ah, came into some money recently.” Her right arm twinged with a phantom ache, and she flexed it away, tugging her compression sleeve lower in annoyance. “C’mon. The parking lot’s nice and all, but unless you wanna go back and get my bike, I’d rather do this inside.” 

Ruby kept staring as they made their way up, _‘oohing’_ and _‘_ _aaahing_ _’_ at everything. She bounced excitedly when she realized that the man inside the elevator was actually there to push the buttons for them and not just, you know, some guy who decided to ride it for funsies. She seemed very impressed by it all, though Yang just thought it was awkward and unnecessary. Like yeah, it was just the three of them. Her, the girl she was very obviously planning on having sex with, and a random dude in a monkey suit, all stuck in an elevator together. Titillating.

Then doors opened, and moments later they were at her room. She’d seen it before she’d left, but had only stayed long enough to drop her bag on the bed and brush her teeth. Frankly, she didn’t see much difference between this place and some cheap motel on the side of the road. Still had the same basic layout, just with a bit more space. The bed was bigger, and nicer, and the sheets were definitely cleaner, but she didn’t see how basic hygiene was worth the extra few hundred dollars it cost each night. 

The door shut and Yang turned. “Welp. This is it. Me casa es- _oof_ _!”_ She got cut off when Ruby crashed into her, sending her stumbling until the back of her knees hit the bed. She fell with an whump, Ruby landing on top of her, and Yang blinked repeatedly, staring up in surprise. 

Ruby hovered over her, giving her a sharp smirk. “You talk to much.” She told her. 

Yang grinned. “Says the girl who spent half an hour telling me about turtles.” She fired back. 

Ruby growled, pushing herself up so she was sitting on her lap. “I’ll show you _turtles_.” 

Yang laughed and opened her mouth, comeback at the ready, but it died on her tongue when Ruby reached up and yanked her shirt off. She had a black sports bra on underneath, which was honestly just about the least sexy thing you could wear under a shirt, and really shouldn’t have made her mouth dry up the way it did. 

Ruby smirked, resting her palms on Yang’s stomach and leaning forward, jutting her chest out, and Yang felt something inside her shrivel up and die at the way the movement made their hips lock together. “Oh? Is this all I had to do to shut you up?” She asked teasingly, and Yang fumbled, scrambling for a reply. “It, uh- it works better without a bra.” 

Without hesitation, Ruby crossed her arms, hooking her bra by the bottom and peeling it off, and Yang got an up close look as her breasts spilled out. 

They were bigger than she’d thought. Her bra must have been pressing them down. Still not exactly huge, but more than enough to give a little bounce as they sprung free, neatly capturing her attention. She was just as tanned under her shirt as she was everywhere else, except for a small band of milky white across her chest from her swimsuit top, and Yang could spot a similar strip of skin peaking out from under her shorts. Her stomach was toned, with a faint outline of her abs pressing through, and her skin was slightly flushed. Probably from all that bouncing she’d been doing on the way here. 

Yang stared. She stared really, really obviously, and fuck, she should stop doing that. The situation had officially escalated. She blinked repeatedly, hoping that breaking line of sight would help her brain restart. It didn’t work. 

Ruby had been- not passive, exactly, but easygoing. She’d been happy to let Yang take the lead for most of the night, and Yang was caught completely off guard when she suddenly turned the tables, leaving her off balance and floundering. 

Ruby leaned over her, breasts falling down to hang in the air between them. Like, right fucking there. _Shit_. “Oh, come on.” She said. Catching Yang’s unresisting hands, she pulled them up and used her weight to press them to the bed over her head, lacing their fingers together. “You were so confident before.” 

Yang swallowed roughly. “Just… giving you a head start.” She croaked. What the hell had happened to the cute, stuttering girl from the bar? 

Ruby’s look sharpened, her smile holding a wicked promise. “Nobody gives me a head start, blondie.” 

Yang jumped when a knee slid up between her legs. It pressed harder, a dull pressure rubbing against her through her jeans, and she shut her eyes with a groan, pressing back. She hadn’t realized how needy she was until something touched her. She heard Ruby laugh and felt her slide forward. Opening her eyes, she looked down to see Ruby sitting on her thigh, grinding herself on her leg. 

It wasn’t the first time she’d had a girl rub one out against her. It shouldn’t even have been that good- they both still had pants on for God’s sake; two layers of separation between them. By all rights, she should barely have felt anything. 

But that didn’t stop a wave of heat from rolling through her, the tension below her stomach coiling ever tighter, like a spring about to explode. She shoved her hips up, pushing her crotch harder against Ruby’s knee. There was a tiny flicker of pleasure, like a drop hitting a hot pan, there and gone, sizzling away to nothing the moment she stopped. She tried again, frustration mounting when the same thing happened. Groaning, she wiggled downwards to try to get closer and began pumping her hips, rubbing herself against Ruby’s leg. 

Her jeans muffled the sensation, spreading out the pressure and turning it into more of a blunt, inefficient massage that somehow still felt fucking awesome. She had to work twice as hard to get half as much back, squeezing down on Ruby’s leg to hold it in place as she ground herself against it. Even pressing as hard as she could was barely enough, the denim dampening the pleasure to an agonizingly low burn that probably would have been barely palpable if she wasn’t so unbelievably turned on. 

The heat between her legs grew at a glacier pace, hardly even noticeable if it wasn’t all she could think about right then. Ruby watched her, openly appreciating the show. She grinned when she noticed Yang looking back. “You look good like this.” She said. “You’re pretty hot when you’re desperate.” 

Yang flushed with embarrassment, feeling the heat reach down to her neck. She opened her mouth to retort, but Ruby didn’t give her the chance, swooping down. 

Lips crashed into hers, pushing her head down into the mattress, and she moaned into them, rolling her hips. A tongue ran across her lips, but Yang was never one to back down easily, shoving her head up and thrusting her own tongue back. This, at least, was something she was sure she could win at. But any thoughts she had of fighting scattered when Ruby suddenly shoved her knee upwards, and Yang groaned as the pleasure abruptly magnified. Her legs clamped around Ruby’s, locking them together and pulling, trying to increase the pressure, arching up off the mattress and thrusting her hips desperately. Her mouth fell open and Ruby dove in, shoving her tongue in and forcing Yang’s back. She tried to rally, but Ruby bit down on her lip, tugging hard, and she fell back with a moan, making Ruby hum happily. 

After that, it wasn’t even a contest. Ruby spent the next few minutes leisurely exploring her mouth, any defense Yang tried to mount falling to pieces with a few shifts of her leg. Her tongue ran across her teeth a couple times before changing focus, licking along the roof of her mouth, under her tongue, across the inside of her cheeks. She touched every inch of her that she could reach, like she was making a map, staking a claim, and Yang could only huff and pant against her lips, jaw hanging loose as she stared up with unfocused eyes. She wasn’t even trying to resist anymore, to busy rubbing herself on her knee. She bucked and squeezed, gyrating her hips as hard as she could. It took all her effort, and even then pressure built slower than it ever had before. The heat in her core grew at an excruciating pace, trickling in one drop at a time no matter how hard she tried, and leaking away the very moment she stopped. 

She gasped a breath when Ruby leaned back, licking her lips. Silver eyes looked down at her, watching her struggle, and Yang felt a rush of embarrassment. Being the center of attention like this definitely wasn’t what she was used to. It was so… open. And she wasn’t even naked, for fucks sake. How did people handle this all the time? 

But Ruby was leaning down over her, pinning her arms above her head, eyes smoldering in a way that made her stomach clench. They felt like spotlights on her face, exposing her, catching every moment of vulnerability, and it made the heat in her core burn all the brighter. 

Yang knew she was a mess. Strands of hair clung to her sweaty face and neck, and her skin felt like it was on fire. Her chest heaved as she panted from exertion, mouth still hanging open wide, and she could feel spittle around her lips and chin. She had her head pressed into the bed and her shoulders thrown back, using her whole body to try to make her hips move just a little faster. She tried to focus on Ruby’s face but sweat stung her eyes, making her blink and squint, and her attention kept slipping, the fire between her legs demanding all her thought. 

Ruby smirked, laying down on top of her so that their chests pressed together, and Yang groaned as the extra weight drove her back to the mattress, slowing her down and making it harder to breathe. Ruby giggled. “Wow. What happened to that cocky attitude, Yang?” She asked impishly, and wiggled her knee, sending a delicious flash of pleasure through her. 

Yang gritted her teeth, grinding against her urgently. “S-shut up.” She growled. “Just- just keep doing that.” 

Ruby giggled again and teasingly slid her knee forward before pulling back, lifting and dropping it, moving from side to side, making Yang squirm as she chased after her. It was the most frustratingly exhilarating thing she’d ever experienced. It was like trying to catch smoke. All of her energy earned her only wisps of pleasure, tiny shreds that disappeared almost as fast as they came. She redoubled her efforts, throwing away any attempts at restraint, just to draw out a tiny bit more. Ruby was smirking, watching her intently, molten silver eyes focused unwaveringly on her, like she was the only thing in the world. It filled Yang with an embarrassed thrill that she had no clue how to deal with, but that she knew she needed more of. 

But it still wasn’t enough. Minutes dragged by, and she found herself stuck on a plateau. No matter how hard she tried, no amount of frantic rutting was enough to push her over. She tried to lift her hands to pull herself closer, but Ruby shoved them back down, using her weight to keep them pinned, and Yang nearly screamed, writhing in frustration. “D-damn it.” She bit out. “ _Fuck_.” 

“Something wrong?” Ruby shifted back a few inches so that her chin was resting on Yang’s chest, silver eyes blinking up at her inquisitively. “Having a bit of trouble?” 

“Just, fucking-” She grunted, throwing her hips forward desperately. “Can- can you just push a little harder?” 

“Hmm…” Ruby rolled her head to the side so she was smooshing her cheek against Yang’s breast, looking for all the world like a playful little puppy. A fluffy, adorable, sadistic puppy that was absolutely going to kill her if she kept this up. “We’re having so much fun, though.” 

“ _Please_.” Yang slammed her head down onto the bed, arching upwards, gnashing her teeth. “Fucking _please_. Just- just do something. I need you to do _something_ _._ ” She panted raggedly. The muscles in her stomach and legs ached and she could feel herself slowing, release drifting further away as she ran out of energy. “ _Please.”_

“Anything?” Ruby picked her head up, raking her eyes over her consideringly. She hummed. “Well. I guess I can do this.” And then she leaned down and bit her breast. Hard. 

Yang cried out, thrusting her chest upwards. Even through her shirt and bra she could feel her teeth digging in, sending a sudden bolt of pain straight through her, making her vision flash. She cursed, blinking up at the ceiling through watery eyes. “Shit. God- Goddammit.” 

Ruby looked up, the shirt slipping out of her teeth. “Want me to stop?” 

“Fuck. Fuck no. Harder.” 

“Harder?” Her eyebrows rose in surprise before she shrugged, tilting her head back down. “Alright.” 

She bit down again, and this time she managed to catch her nipple through her bra, causing a bloom of heat that had nothing to do with pain. Yang shrieked and bucked, kicking her legs out in the air over the edge of the bed, stomping on the ground. Ruby let go, but only to change her angle, clamping down on the underside of her breast where her bra didn’t cover. 

The pressure in her core climbed, and she could feel herself teetering over the edge, inches away from falling. She gasped breathlessly, throwing her head back and driving her chest forward, offering it up. “Harder. Just- just a little more, please. Harder-“ 

Ruby suddenly let go of her hands, pulling away. Before Yang could do more than realize her arms were free, though, Ruby grabbed her top and yanked, jerking it down around her stomach with the sound of tearing fabric. A wave of cold air hit her breasts as they were suddenly bared, and then Ruby swooped down and clamped her teeth directly onto her nipple. 

Yang swore as her climax crashed through her, arms snapping up to wrap around Ruby, yanking her closer. Her toes curled in her boots and her whole body went rigid, only her hips moving as they continued pumping. Ruby yanked her leg free, and Yang clawed her back in protest, trying to pull her back. But then Ruby shifted it upwards, leaning down so that she was kneeling directly on top of her spasming cunt, her weight pressing her down into the bed, and Yang’s vision went white. Her hips juttered upwards, grinding herself against it- and _there_ was the friction she’d been looking for. After so long with almost nothing, the sudden surge of contact was overwhelming. She couldn’t see, couldn’t hear, could hardly feel Ruby’s weight on top of her, to lost in the white hot flood of pleasure burning through her. 

Finally, it began to die down, and she felt herself settle back into her body. Ruby was kissing her again, she realized, hands locked in her hair to hold her head in place. She wondered when that had happened. 

Yang didn’t bother trying to retaliate, preferring to just lay still underneath her, panting hard and relishing the feeling of relief. Her muscles where burning from exertion, her legs felt like jelly, her head was swimming, and she was so wet she wouldn’t be surprised if it had soaked through her jeans. She was throwing in the towel. Ruby could fucking have this round. 

Which was exactly what Ruby intended to do, apparently. One hand tightened on her head, pulling her hair, while the other slipped down to tweak her throbbing nipple. Yang groaned and shifted sluggishly as a bolt of pain shot through her tired body, straight to her still tingling core. Ruby giggled into her mouth and grabbed a handful of her breast, groping her energetically, and making her clench reflexively at the tattered rush of pleasure. Yang flopped an arm up, slapping at her weakly. She didn’t want to be turned on right now, dammit. Thankfully Ruby got the memo, ceasing her explorations and levering herself up on her elbows. 

She smirked down at her, smug and cocky. “So. What’s the score now?” 

Yang glowered at her sourly, but couldn’t do anything about the way her face heated. Dignity: lost. 

Unable to come up with a retort, she just muttered, “Bitch.” Shoving her off, Yang sat up, so at least she wasn’t flat on her back with Ruby looking down on her anymore. 

Ruby outright laughed in her face. “Oooh, scathing.” 

Goddamn it. Yang scowled and looked down, tugging at her shirt for a distraction. It was definitely ruined- the fabric was stretched horrendously, where it wasn’t torn all together, so it was now hanging off her loosely. 

Damn it. She’d liked this top. 

Shrugging off her jacket, she tossed it towards her bag, before peeling off her top and doing the same. 

Ruby wasn’t done rubbing in her victory yet, though, and scooted up behind her so that she was leaning against her back, resting her chin on her shoulder. A hand slipped around her waist to press against her stomach, fingertips digging in as they dragged across it. “Love the six-pack. I’m a total sucker for abs.” 

Yang clenched her eyes shut, shivering at the feeling of Ruby’s breasts pressing between her shoulders. Fuck, was she being spooned? Was that what was happening right now? 

Like hell. She was no one’s little spoon. 

She pushed Ruby off roughly. Ruby giggled at her even as she tumbled backwards, obviously seeing straight through her, and making Yang flush once again. She twisted around so that she was at least facing her, ready to start setting shit straight. Only to get shut down instantly when Ruby slapped a hand onto her knee, shoving her legs back down. “No boots on the bed.” She scolded. 

Yang glared, even though privately she agreed. “It’s _my_ bed.” 

“Is it? ‘Cause I’m pretty sure it’s mine now.” 

Goddammit, Ruby was such a smug little _shit._ Grumbling, Yang bent down and began unlacing her boots, kicking them over towards the rest of her clothes. 

Ruby hummed behind her, making her stiffen. “Nice butt, too. Do you run?” 

Yang straightened immediately, which just earned her more giggles. She scowled at the far wall, face hot. _She_ was supposed to be the one to say that, dammit. How the hell had Ruby managed to flip this around? 

She probably could have broken free, too. She _definitely_ could have- Ruby might workout, but she was still a shrimp. She just… hadn’t. Hadn’t even really thought to try. Looking back it was obvious, but in the moment… Ruby smirking down at her, hands pinned by her head, her weight heavy on her chest… 

Fuck. 

Her embarrassment wasn’t helped by the way Ruby _just_ _kept talking._

“So. You got a thing for pain, huh?” 

Yang groaned, hunching forward and covering her face, squeezing her eyes. “Shut up.” 

“Like being held down, too. Should I go find some rope?” 

Yang gave up. Retreat was the better part of valor, or whatever. She flopped onto her back and grabbed a pillow, pulling it over her burning face. “Shut _uuuup_.” She whined. She hadn’t been topped in- fuck, she didn’t even know. Five years, at least. Not since she was still in high school. And it had _never_ felt anything like that. Mostly she’d just been annoyed and impatient, not- whatever the hell had just happened. “I didn’t- that wasn’t part of the plan.” 

She heard Ruby giggle, and felt the bed dip as she shifted to lean over her, tugging at her pillow. “That infamous master plan of yours to sweep me off my feet? What step are we on now?” 

“Fuck you.” She grumbled, voice muffled. 

“ _Oooh_ , are we finally getting to the good part? I was wondering when that would come up. Or are you just gonna keep laying there while I do all the work.” 

Oh my God, this girl was evil. Hateful. Darkness personified. It was like she knew _exactly_ what to say to press all her buttons. Yang surrendered the pillow to Ruby’s insistent tugging and rolled over onto her stomach, burying her face into the bed. 

Ruby tossed the pillow away and nudged her again, bouncing on her back like a puppy trying to get its owner out of bed. Yang groaned, wrapping her arms around her head. “Go away.” She grumbled. “Gimme five minutes.” 

“Oh come on.” Ruby said. “Don’t tell me you’re done before you even got my pants off.” 

Yang stilled. Fuck. She was still wearing her shorts, wasn’t she? 

_Damn it_. The dig was stupid, but it got under her skin anyways. She rolled over, scowling up at Ruby’s grinning face. “You fucking suck.” She told her. Ruby gave her a saucy smile, poking at her cheek. “I think it’s your turn to do that, slowpoke.” 

She just didn’t stop, did she. Yang was rapidly losing her patience for the snappy comebacks. “Stop it.” She growled, and smacked Ruby’s hand away, which was still poking her face. 

Ruby laughed again. “Or what? You’ll fall asleep, or do something equally unimpressive?” 

Yang snarled, sitting up. “Oh, that is _it_ , you little brat.” She said, and lunged. 

Ruby squealed, dodging Yang’s swipe and darting away. She was fast- Yang probably wouldn’t stand a chance at catching her normally. Unfortunately for her, though, they were stuck in a hotel room that, no matter how nice the sheets, still didn’t have nearly enough space for her to run more than a few steps at a time, and it didn’t take long to corner her. 

Yang caught her in a bear hug from behind, lifting her and pinning her arms to her sides, and Ruby shrieked, kicking her legs wildly in the air. Backing up, she carried an enthusiastically struggling Ruby over until she could dump her on the bed, landing on top of her in an awkward sprawl of limbs.

She would have been worried she was being to rough, if Ruby hadn’t kept bursting out in giggles. She slipped, accidentally driving her elbow into Ruby’s chest in a way she knew had to hurt, but Ruby just shoved back, retaliating by raking her nails across her shoulders so hard Yang thought she might actually bleed. 

Ruby may have been fast, but she didn’t stand a chance in a grapple. Yang probably had fifty pounds on her, more reach, and unlike her, actually knew what she was doing. Try as she might, enthusiasm could only take her so far, and the contest was basically over before it began. 

To bad Ruby apparently didn’t realize that, because she _wouldn’t stop squirming._ Yang tried to pin her down, growling in annoyance, while Ruby giggled delightedly, taking every opportunity to frustrate her. Yang had meant to go a little slower, but Ruby just kept pushing, driving her to push back twice as hard. Yang kissed her and Ruby bit her lips, she touched her and Ruby kicked, kneeing her in the stomach. 

After nearly five minutes Yang finally managed to wrestle her shorts down her legs, Ruby fighting her the whole way. She was pretty sure they were ruined now, the fabric stretched and torn, but Ruby didn’t seem to care and Yang wasn’t planning on taking the blame. 

It helped Ruby that she had no regard for the rules whatsoever, biting and scratching and yanking on her hair constantly, while Yang was stuck being all sportsman like. Right up until something hit her right on the chin, hard enough to make her head snap back. 

Yang blinked, then looked back down. “Did you just punch me in the fucking face?” She demanded, feeling almost offended. Ruby just giggled mischievously, and that was all the answer she needed. 

“You little _shit_.” Yang hissed. Reaching down, she undid her belt and slid it free with a rasp. Holding it up, she held it with both hands and snapped it once, making Ruby’s eyes widen. Yang bared her teeth. “It is _on_ now, bitch.” 

Squealing, Ruby twisted around and lunged, clawing her way across the sheets as she tried to escape, but Yang dove on top of her. Amidst much struggling and laughter, she managed to wrestle Ruby’s arms behind her, wrapping the belt around her wrists several times and pulling hard. Ruby bucked and huffed into the sheets, but her arms were bound tight, and all she could do was wiggle. 

Rolling her onto her back, Yang settled herself on top of her, straddling her hips. She smirked down at her, and Ruby grinned back, face bright red and damp, hair strung across her eyes. “Got anything else to say?” She asked, and Ruby blew out a breathless laugh. “I-” She swallowed, panting hard. “I let- you win.” 

“Tch. I’m sure.” Reaching up, Yang gingerly ran her fingers through her bangs, wincing at the amount that pulled free. “ _Bitch._ Do you have any idea how hard it is to take care of this much hair?” 

“N- nope.” 

Dropping her hand, Yang narrowed her eyes, pinning the smaller woman with her stare. “You’re just trying to piss me off, aren’t you?” 

Ruby smirked, wriggling experimentally. “What- what makes you- say that?” 

Oh, it was like that, was it? 

Yang leaned down, bracing her elbow on either side of Ruby’s head. She smirked when she saw her swallow, eyes flicking down to her chest. Ah, the good old ‘wave-her-tits-in-their-face’ move. Never failed. She lowered her head so their faces were barely an inch apart, close enough for their lips to brush. Ruby’s tongue darted out, and Yang’s smirk grew, tilting her head to the side. She let her eyes drop until they were half lidded, raking them slowly over Ruby’s face. “You can make this easier on yourself if you just apologize now.” She offered softly. 

Ruby bit her nose. 

Yang recoiled, teeth scraping across skin as she flinched back. She grabbed her face. “Fuck- seriously?” Was she _bleeding?_ It felt like she should be. 

“Sorry.” Ruby said, not sounding the least bit apologetic. “I thought you were into that.” 

Goddammit. Tied up, pinned down, out of breath, naked and flat on her back, and Ruby was _still_ getting shots in. Yang growled. She was tired of being on the back foot. Playtime was over. 

“You know what?” Glancing over, she spotted her suitcase on the floor next to the bed, where it had fallen off at some point earlier. “I got an idea. Hold still.” 

This, of course, had the opposite effect, making Ruby renew her struggling in earnest. Yang rocked forward so that her weight was on Ruby’s stomach, making her grunt as air was forced out of her lungs, then leaned down and snagged her bag while she was trying to catch her breath. She rifled through it for a moment before she found what she was looking for, pulling out her vibrating massage wand. 

Ruby’s eyes widened when they landed on it, and she actually paused in her wiggling. “You know, I’ve never used one of those.” She admitted, looking at the wand with interest. 

Yang smirked. A first time user, too? This would be fun. “Your going to be buying one after this.” She promised. 

Ruby tried to kick her when she leaned in, but Yang caught her leg, wrapping her arm around it and pinning it to her chest, before shifting around and just sitting on the other one. Now with all four limbs restrained, Ruby could do nothing but squirm as she primed the vibrator, pulling her legs further apart and pressing it between them. Yang didn’t bother warming up, switching the wand to max and pushing down, cutting Ruby’s retort off with a yelp. Yang knew _exactly_ how good that felt, and pressed harder. 

She took advantage of her position to once again admire Ruby’s legs. They really were just goddamn amazing. She could see the muscles flexing as she squirmed, twitching like a thoroughbred. She tilted her head down toward the one she had pinned to her chest, running her tongue along Ruby’s inner thigh before lightly biting down, right over the pulse she could feel pounding beneath her skin. Ruby’s hips bucked, a loud moan spilling from her lips. 

Yang smiled. Sweet spot, eh? She was taking advantage of that. Ducking back in, she bit down again, earning another moan. This time she didn’t stop, continuing to nibble further down, working her way up her leg, closer to the heat radiating between them. Ruby’s legs spasmed, and she actually gushed, squirting a small stream of arousal onto Yang’s thigh. 

“We can stop whenever you want.” Yang told her. “All you’ve got to do is say sorry.” 

Ruby gave a slightly choked laugh, managing to smirk between her moans. “Are you- are you kidding? This is- awesome.” 

Yang shrugged, internally gleeful. “Alright, then. Just remember, you wanted this.” 

Ruby laughed at her again. Oh, she couldn’t _wait_ until that annoying attitude of hers dried up. 

It didn’t take long at all before Ruby tensed, her stomach tightening. Yang admired the way it made her abs swell up, rippling with each short, quick breath. With her to distracted to resist at the moment, she shifted her grip on Ruby’s leg to free up her hand, then reached down and pressed it to her stomach just under her navel, splaying her fingers out wide. She could feel Ruby’s pulse hammering beneath her palm, muscles quivering with strain. With a grin, she moved the wand upwards so it rested on her clit, drawing out a choked whine. “ _Y-Yang!_ ” 

Yang didn’t let up, pressing harder, and Ruby’s legs twitched in her grasp, spasming randomly. Ruby sputtered for breath, bucking and trying to pull away, but Yang held tight. 

“Something wrong?” She asked innocently, and Ruby bit out a curse. Her face was flushed and damp from the strain, eyes squeezed shut, and she sucked in air through her teeth. Yang could have watched her make that face all day and never even thought about looking away. Her chest heaved with each sharp inhale, breasts lifting upwards, just begging to be played with. _Later,_ Yang promised herself. Right now, she had a more urgent goal. 

Ruby’s stomach tensed again, harder, drawn almost painfully tight. Yang could feel her gasping under her hand, struggling to draw in air. She cried out, arching upwards, body quivering with effort, and Yang couldn’t help herself any more. Adjusting her grip on the wand so she was cradling it, the head buzzing against her palm, she reached out and pressed her middle finger against Ruby’s slit, running it between soaked lips, before lining it up and sinking it in all the way to the knuckle. 

She pumped her finger a few times, flexing experimentally. Ruby clenched down around her so tightly she could barely move, and she doubted she be able to fit a second finger if she tried. Her walls quivered, burning hot and literally dripping, droplets of arousal running down to dampen Yang’s hand. With some effort she crooked her finger upwards until it met the top of Ruby’s pussy and pressed firmly, dragging it backwards. 

Ruby made a noise that might have been a curse, high pitched and strangled and filled with a desperation that was bordering on anguish. Yang bit her tongue, a shiver of warmth dripping down to pool in her stomach. She knew she’d be hearing that sound in her dreams for weeks to come. She wanted to hear it again. She pushed faster, rubbing back and forth. 

Ruby gasped, drawing in a breath like it might be the last she’d ever take. “Yang- Yang. Yang, seriously! Wait, waitwait- _Yang_!” She bucked against her, hips jerking helplessly. " _Yang!”_ For the third time in as many minutes she tensed, and this time she _screamed,_ thrashing and writhing, flinging sweat off herself in arcs, dampening the sheets. Yang could feel her spasming around her, and she swirled her finger, pumping it a few times. “Fucking- _fuck!_ _Please!_ ” 

“Hmm?” Yang twisted her wrist, grinding the head of the wand against her, and Ruby’s voice choked off, mouth stretched wide. “Having a bit of _trouble,_ Ruby?” 

Ruby trembled, her struggles starting to slow to little more than weak, intermittent jerks. The tension gradually began to ease out of her, muscles growing to exhausted to tighten any longer. She peeled her eyes open, bright and watery, burning hot like liquid silver, looking up at her pleadingly- but still with a hint of rebellion left. Yang smiled. “What are the magic words, Ruby?” 

Ruby grit her teeth, eyes focusing enough to glare at her. “You. You are- a fucking- _bitch._ ” She hissed. 

Yang laughed. “Ouch. My feelings. You can apologize for that, too.” 

Ruby snarled, kicking hard. “Fuckin- _gah_!” She tried to roll away, but Yang just shifted her weight to hold her down. Next, Ruby flung herself up into a sitting position, trying to head butt her off, but Yang shoved her back to the bed with ease. She shrieked and thrashed and bucked wildly, nearly crying with frustration. “Wait. Waitwaitwaitwait.” She swallowed hard, and Yang could see her pulse hammering against her throat. “Seriously- seriously, just- just five minutes. I just need fi _-ah!_ ” 

Her hips bucked, and she pressed her shoulders into the sheets, back arching of the bed. She bit her lip, eyes squeezed shut, and Yang could feel her clenching, walls trembling and rippling around her finger. 

“Got something to say?” Yang asked her. She hoped she didn’t. She hoped Ruby never gave in, so she could have an excuse to keep this going forever. But by now Ruby was soaked in sweat and staring forward unseeingly, her breaths coming only in short, sporadic gasps, and Yang was starting to worry she might actually pass out soon at this rate. 

Ruby kicked one more time, grit her teeth, clenched her fists- and broke. 

“OK! OK, I’m sorry!” 

Yang smirked and leaned in, pressing harder, earning a high pitched squeal. “What are you sorry for?” 

“For- for-” Ruby writhed, her legs tensing and spasming erratically. “For being mean and embarrassing you!” 

“And?” 

“And- for saying- _gah_ _!_ ” She bit her lip, arching away, but Yang followed readily, keeping the pressure steady. “ _Fuck!_ For saying you were slow and boring!” 

“And?” 

Ruby bucked violently, forcing her eyes open to glare at her, making a noise that was halfway between a growl and a groan. “And I’m sorry for calling you a _fucking_ ** _bitch_**!” She spat. 

Just for that, Yang ground down on her clit, making her shriek and kick. 

She was so close, and trying so desperately to stop it, Yang just couldn’t resist pushing her over one more time. Yang curled her finger inside of her, finding the spot that made her scream and focusing on it, circling rapidly. Ruby _howled_ like a dying thing, back arching off the bed, feet kicking wildly until Yang shoved her back down, pressing a knee into her hips to keep them still. Yang leaned over her, sliding the hand on her stomach up over her neck and slipping it around behind her head, threading her fingers into her hair. Ruby stared up at her, eyes dazed and fever bright, not quite focused on her face. They were swimming with liquid, Yang noticed with satisfaction, and a few tears slipped free, trickling down her cheeks. _Lost control of her tear ducts,_ _eh?_ She had definitely been there. 

She tightened her grip, pulling at the little hairs at the base of her neck until Ruby made a pained noise and blinked, meeting her eyes. Yang bared her teeth in a grin. “And?” She prompted patiently. 

Ruby’s throat convulsed as she swallowed. “I’m sorry for. For bi- for biting, y-you. And for- for hitting you!” 

“ _And?_ ” 

“For- for- I don’t know!” Ruby’s voice cracked and she thrashed, desperate. “I don’t know, Idon’tknowIdon’tknowIdon’tknow, I’m sorry!” 

Yang chuckled and leaned in, letting the begging go on for a little longer. Ruby’s voice filled the room, ragged cries bouncing of the walls, and Yang drank in the sound. She pressed just a little harder, slid just a little further up, and Ruby’s pleading squeezed off, becoming nothing but a high pitched squeal. She was practically vibrating, her whole body locked in place, taut as a piano wire. Ruby’s mouth flapped, and it took her several attempts to inhale. 

Finally, though, Yang had to let the moment end. Switching the wand to a lower setting, she eased up, relaxing the pressure enough for Ruby to breathe again, and she flopped down onto the bed, panting harshly. 

Yang gave her a few seconds to recover. “Are you sorry for being a little brat?” She asked. Ruby nodded jerkily. “Yes! Yes, I’m- I’m a little brat and I’m sorry!” 

“And for pulling my hair?” 

“ _Yes_! Please!” 

Yang leaned in, smirking devilishly. “And are you sorry for saying my Hindenburg joke was stupid?” 

Ruby blinked away sweat, confused, before realization lit. She hesitated, conflicted- and then her eyes hardened, and she set her jaw stubbornly. “That joke was the _stupidest_ _fucking_ _-_ ” 

Not missing a beat, Yang flicked the switch back to max and moved up to grind harshly on her clit. At the same time she curled her finger again, finding the same spot as before, but this time she pressed with her fingernail, scraping it back and forth in a way that she knew was absolutely unbearable. 

Ruby shrieked, nearly lifting herself off the bed with how hard she jerked, and managed to wiggle one leg free. She kicked again, only this time she was actively aiming for Yang’s face, and it seemed like she was doing her absolute damndest to knock out a few teeth, or at least break her nose. Yang merely leaned out of the way and caught her leg once again, wrapping her arm around it to hold it in place, and then doubled down as retribution, rubbing harder and more insistently, twisting the vibrator back and forth. Ruby thrashed and screeched, but only lasted another few seconds before breaking. 

“Alright!” She yelled. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry I said it was stupid!” 

“And you admit it was funny?” 

“Yes! It was good! It was the funniest _fucking_ joke I’ve ever heard! Now stop, please!” 

Yang smirked, digging her nails into her leg. “We’re having so much _fun_ , though.” 

“ _Yang_!” 

Chuckling, she finally relented, shutting the wand off and leaning back. Ruby went limp, sagging down onto the bed with a loud gasp. Her entire body swelled as she inhaled, chest heaving with each grateful breath, pushing her breasts skyward. This time Yang didn’t hold herself back, reaching out and grasping one lightly. Ruby didn’t react at all, which Yang took as an invitation to explore, groping her inquisitively. It was just slightly too small to fill her hand, skin smooth and slick with sweat, making her fingers slip when she tried to squeeze. 

Yang really could just look at her like this for hours. She reached into her pocket and wiggled out her phone, lifting it up before pausing. “You mind if I take a picture?” 

Ruby mumbled something unintelligible, but it didn’t sound like an objection, and she didn’t move, so Yang went ahead and took one. Or ten. She could sort through and delete them later, if she had to. 

She probably would have taken more, honestly, but Ruby seemed to decide she’d had enough, heaving a leg up and kicking at her side. It was halfhearted at best, and barely even reached her, but Yang got the message. She leaned over and dropped her phone off the edge of the bed before crawling over, flopping down next to Ruby. 

Immediately, Ruby rolled over to press against her side, grumbling quietly. It was made slightly awkward by the way her hands were still bound behind her, but Yang looped an arm under her head and pulled her closer so that Ruby’s head was pillowed on her shoulder, and she settled, quieting. She was still trembling all over, pulse thrumming beneath her skin. Yang trailed her fingers up and down her side a few times, running her palm along the curve of her hip. Ruby shivered at the touch, skin still hypersensitive, twitching as Yang triggered the occasional aftershock. 

Raising her head, Ruby scowled angrily, in a way that was probably supposed to be intimidating. Unfortunately for her, it was more like being growled at by a small puppy. A flushed, teary-eyed, sweaty puppy that was far to adorable for her own good. 

Ruby huffed, still a little out of breath. “Next time. We’re using. A fucking safe word.” She growled. 

Yang grinned cheekily down at her. “We had a safe word.” She reminded her. “Not my fault you didn’t want to use it.” 

She yelped when Ruby bit her shoulder, right where it was softest. Grabbing her by the hair, she peeled her off, frowning down at her. “Bitey little minx. Need to get you a muzzle.” 

Ruby’s neck was craned back uncomfortably by her hold, hair pulled tight, but if she was at all bothered by the manhandling she didn’t show it, flashing her teeth in an unrepentant grin. “You have- no idea.” 

Oh, that sounded like a promise. Yang leaned in and crushed their lips together, immediately shoving her way into her mouth. Ruby, surprisingly, didn’t take the opportunity to bite her again, just giving a happy little moan and laying back, letting Yang dominate the kiss. And still, somehow, seeming utterly self-satisfied. It was fucking annoying. Yang really had to figure out how that trick worked. 

Eventually she pulled away, feeling satisfied that she’d made up enough ground from their last make out session. Ruby ran her tongue over her lips with a deliberate slowness. She didn’t open her eyes and didn’t move, letting her head keep hanging from Yang’s grip on her hair. She looked like she might be planning to fall asleep like that. “Feel better yet?” She asked, reddened lips twisting up in a smirk. 

Yang huffed. This girl was relentless. Even when Yang won, she somehow still managed to make it seem like she was on top. She didn’t even have to fight back. Like she was just _accommodating_ her, _letting_ her vent to make her feel better. 

Briefly, she considered making the little tease regret it. Roll over on top of her again, slip a hand between her legs. Sink a few knuckles into her and start pumping, not stop until she was a soaked, whimpering mess and that pretty mouth of hers couldn’t form sentences anymore. 

It was a nice fantasy. Good enough to save for later, definitely. But, she decided to just let it slide. This time. 

Loosening her grip, she let Ruby’s hair slip through her fingers until her head lay on her shoulder again. Ruby hummed gratefully, rolling her shoulders a few times and burrowing closer. 

Yang gave her a few minutes to recover, waiting until her breathing evened out and the tremors stopped. Ruby might actually be meaning to go to sleep, she realized. Heh. Not a chance. Sliding a hand down, she pinched Ruby’s ass, making her twitch. “So. Ready for round three?” 

Ruby scoffed, not even opening her eyes. “You just made me cum, like, eight times, Yang.” 

Six, actually. She was pretty sure that was a record for her. Still, she accepted the point, letting her head fall back on the pillow and looking up at the ceiling. Ruby scooted a little closer, rolling over so that she was laying half on her, cheek pressed against her chest. It really was adorable. Yang hated to ruin it. 

But then again… 

“You know.” Yang started, voice light. “I still don’t have my pants off.” 

On top of her, Ruby went still. Yang smirked at the ceiling. Ah, revenge was sweet. And a moment later- 

“Damn it.” Ruby grumbled. She nipped Yang’s shoulder again, harder. “You’re a real bitch sometimes, you know that?” 

Yang just laughed. “ _You_ don’t get to say that.” 

Still grumbling, Ruby rolled off her. Sitting up, she looked like a drowned kitten, grumpy and scowling, hair plastered all across her face in a disheveled mess, skin damp. Still glowering, she glanced around until her eyes landed on the massage wand. “That thing still got battery?” She asked, and Yang’s eyebrows popped up. “What, really?” She asked in disbelief. “You want another round?” 

Ruby turned, smirking wickedly down at her. “I’m not planning on using it on me.” 

Yang froze. “Oh.” 

Ruby was looking at her the same way as when she’d held Yang down, her eyes glowing with the same light. Yang’s stomach clenched just like it had then, fluttering with nervous excitement. The total loss of control, of Ruby taking her by the reins and stringing her along however she liked- it had been overwhelming. Intoxicating. She’d been laid bare, every bit of self-restraint stripped, the very idea of composure thrown aside, leaving her exposed and raw. 

The idea of feeling that again was… not unattractive. 

Yang licked her lips nervously, eyes flicking between Ruby’s and the vibrator. “It- yeah. Yeah, it’s- it’s got plenty left.” 

Ruby grinned, and the expression sent chills down her spine. “Perfect.” 

Twisting around so that her back was to her, Ruby held out her bound hands, wriggling her fingers at her. “Get this off.” She ordered. 

Feeling a bit like she was tying her own noose, Yang complied. Ruby rolled her shoulders a few times and stretched, cracking her neck. Then, belt in hand, she turned around and grabbed Yang’s unresisting arms, lifting them up so they were resting against the headboard above her. 

Yang swallowed as she felt the leather wind around her wrists. A moment later it went tight, and she found her arms tied to the metal frame of the bed. Yanking experimentally told her just how fucked she was, the binding not giving her an inch. 

Her apprehension only grew when Ruby unbuckled her jeans, tugging them down and tossing them aside. Now she really was open, tied up and naked. And _fuck_ , this was so much worse than before. She felt cold and hot at the same time, nervousness fluttering about in her stomach, and she had to lock her muscles in place to keep from trembling. 

Ruby sat back when she was done, making Yang's stomach clench as her eyes raked across her critically. Her mouth twisted a little to the side and her eyes narrowed, sweeping over her again. 

“You wouldn’t happen to have another belt, would you?” Ruby asked. The bed creaked as Yang’s muscles tightened, a spike of heat shooting straight to her core. “Yeah. Yeah, in my- in my bag.” She said. Her eyes tracked Ruby as she immediately leaned down and grabbed it, rooting around. Suddenly, she was feeling very small. 

Yang tugged against the belt again. Still tight. _Fuck_. 

Ruby tossed her bag away and sat up victoriously, holding up not one but two belts – and fuck _,_ _why_ _had she packed so many belts?_

Yang met her eyes. “Listen.” She said. “I just want to say right from the start: I’m sorry.” 

Ruby slid the belt under Yang’s ankles and pulled it tight, binding together legs that suddenly seemed to have no strength at all. When she was done she looked up, baring her teeth in a dangerous grin- and _fuck_ , how had she ever thought that was cute? 

Ruby shuffled forward so that she was kneeling over her. Straddling her stomach, brandishing the second belt like a weapon, still grinning, eyes burning with intent. And then she leaned down and reached out, belt still in hand. 

Yang couldn’t stop herself from sucking in a sharp breath as it slipped around her neck. It tightened slowly, leather rasping softly across vulnerable skin. She actually shivered when it finally tightened, goosebumps breaking out across her whole body. Ruby pulled once, hard enough that her breath caught, and Yang could feel her pulse pounding against it. 

“You’re going to be.” Ruby promised. 

Yang whimpered. She was _so_ _fucked._

Later, Yang laid on her back, staring up at the ceiling, relaxed and comfortable in a way that had nothing to do with the horrendously overpriced mattress she was laying on. Her body ached in the best way possible, and her hair was a mess, but for once she didn’t mind. The scent of sweat filled the room, and in any other circumstance that would have been disgusting. Her right arm throbbed lowly under the compression sleeve, but she paid it no mind. Tonight had absolutely been worth a little stiffness. 

Ruby lay sprawled across her legs, head pillowed on Yang’s stomach, only half under the blanket. The flush had finally faded from her skin, leaving it cool and pale. Her hair had fallen across her face, so Yang reached down and pulled it back, tucking it behind her ear. Her hand stayed there, her thumb stroking across Ruby’s forehead, fingers tangling into the dark strands. She really couldn’t get enough of looking at this girl. She couldn’t get enough of her, period. Ruby really was just amazing. 

She was also drooling, a little bit, but after everything else that had happened tonight Yang was inclined to not care. 

The other belt still hung loosely around Ruby’s neck, the sight of it filling her with a tired sense of satisfaction. She’d fought tooth and nail to get that belt there. They’d both been exhausted by that point, but Ruby had been on top for the first round, and Yang had refused to let her win the last one too. 

She wasn’t sure how long she’d been laying there. The room had that specific atmosphere that only existed in the very earliest hours of the morning, where time seemed to stop and the rest of the world disappeared. 

Eventually, though, her stomach reminded her that she hadn’t had dinner. Flopping an arm over towards the side table, Yang grabbed the phone that was sitting there, squinting at the list of numbers posted next to it. 

She felt a little bad, calling for food at whatever ungodly hour of the morning it was, but, well. She was hungry. Plus, she hadn’t seen any cheap cars in that parking lot, so she figured everyone who worked here was paid enough to put up with whatever bullshit the rich bastards that were staying here demanded. 

The line only rang once before being picked up, the person answering speaking in a professional tone. “This is room service, what would you like to order?” 

“Uh.” Yang furrowed her brow. She hadn’t actually thought this far. She cast her mind around, trying to think of something. “You got, uh. Pasta? The little curly kind?” 

There was a pause. “Yes ma’am, we do. Is that what you would like?” Their voice didn’t slip at all, tone staying steady and even. It was impressive, honestly. Yang grinned. “Yeah. Two- eh, three things of pasta with extra sauce and meatballs. And garlic bread, if you’ve got it. That good?” 

“Yes, ma’am. We’ll have it brought up to your room in about fifteen minutes.” 

“Awesome, thanks. Uh. Bye?” She wasn’t really sure if she was supposed to say that, but she figured it wouldn’t hurt. She hung up and dropped back to the bed, just enjoying the warmth for a few more minutes. Her eyes fell shut and she dozed, drifting aimlessly, fingers still brushing slowly through Ruby’s hair. 

She could have stayed there forever, but a knock on the door roused her from her nap. For a second she was annoyed until she remembered that, oh yeah, she’d called them. 

Careful not to wake Ruby, she slid out of bed and stood, pausing for a moment to gently tug the blanket up over her. Then she started towards the door, swiping the bathrobe off the hook on the wall on the way there, pulling it on. She was rich now. Rich people wore bathrobes. 

The guy outside the door looked basically identical to every other person that worked here, with the exception of the cart he was pushing, holding a shiny tray piled up with three plates. 

His eyes flicked down pretty much the same moment she opened the door. At first she thought he was just looking at her boobs- and fuck, why wouldn’t he, her girls were amazing. She was even wearing a bathrobe. A _bathrobe_. This scene was the start to basically every porno in the last fifty years. 

But then his eyebrow twitched up, just for a moment before his face settled back into a professionally blank mask. Confused, she looked down. Was there a stain on her robe or something? 

She stopped when she felt something hard press against the underside of her chin. Something rigid. Something, that felt suspiciously like leather. 

She grabbed the belt around her neck, staring down at her hand in disbelief. When had Ruby gotten it on her? After she fell asleep? No, that would be cheating-that wasn’t her style. Had it just been on there so long that she had actually _forgotten_ about it? 

Fuck. She gave it a tug, like that would make it fall off. “That little bitch.” 

A polite cough drew her attention back to the guy at the door. He was still standing there, holding out the tray. “Your food, Ma’am.” His voice didn’t waver an inch, and after that first slip his face didn’t even twitch. 

One benefit to staying in overpriced hotels, she was realizing: the people who worked here were paid way to much to give a shit when guests did something stupid. 

“Ah. Thanks.” She patted down her robe before realizing it didn’t have any pockets. She paused. “I, uh, don’t have any cash. Do you… take credit?” Immediately, she wanted to slap herself. Fuckin’ of course he didn’t. 

But his face relaxed a tiny bit, the corner of his mouth pulling up in a small smile. Not like he was laughing at her, like he absolutely should, but genuine. “You can just write it on the receipt, Ma’am.” 

Oh, she was _definitely_ giving this guy a good tip. Snatching up the pen that was resting on the tray, she scribbled her signature onto the receipt, along with a number that had more zeros than she’d ever written on a check in her life. 

His eyebrows popped up again when he saw it, and this time they stayed there. “I- thank you, Ma’am.” His eyes swept over her again- probably wondering what billionaire she’d married. _Ha_. Jokes on him, she didn’t need to marry a guy to steal all his money. 

Grabbing the plates, she gave him a nod of farewell and nudged the door closed with her hip, carrying them over to the table in the corner. They had fancy little covers on them to keep them warm, and she wasn’t planning on eating without Ruby anyways, so she just left them and headed for the bathroom. Moving around was making her dried up sweat rub and stick, and she was just not ok with it anymore. 

Inside, she paused to look at herself in the mirror while the shower water heated. She really was a total mess, though she’d honestly thought it would be worse. Her nose was still a little red from when Ruby bit it. There was a faint bruise on the underside of her chin, and another on her stomach where Ruby had kicked her, but both were barely noticeable. Her hair was the worst- it looked a bit like a toddler had been practicing tying their shoes with it. Telling Ruby to leave it alone had probably been a bad idea. She tried to drag her fingers through it, but they got stuck almost immediately. 

Damn. She grabbed a comb, bringing it into the shower with her. Looked like she was going to be there a while. 

She wasn’t wrong. Fifteen minutes later, and she was only just getting the last of the knots out. And she hadn’t even washed it yet. Luckily, the hot water seemed basically never-ending. It took another ten minutes before she was finally done. 

While drying herself off, she eyed the bathrobe thoughtfully. She considered pulling it back on- it really was just so comfy- but decided against it, instead just wrapping a towel around her waist to avoid dripping all over the floor. And then her eyes landed on the belt, sitting innocently next to the sink. She paused, wavering. 

And then growled, shaking her head. Like hell. 

Ruby was sitting up when she walked out, rubbing at her eyes. She squinted at Yang, blinking at the light from the bathroom. “Mmn. Wattinnishitt?” She asked. Or, something like that, Yang wasn’t really sure. 

“I have no idea.” She answered truthfully. Walking over, she bent down and clicked on the light next to the bed. Ruby squinted up at her, eyes barely open, and she grinned at her. “But there’s food if you want it.” 

Ruby just blinked blankly. Yang waved a hand in front of her face. _Slow starter, huh?_ Yang straightened up. 

She’d put on some coffee before she’d gotten in the shower, and she poured herself a cup, then one for Ruby. She had no idea how the other woman liked hers, but she was going to take a wild guess and say lots of cream and sugar. Luckily, there was plenty of both in this hotel. They even had actual cream for the coffee. It was kept in a tiny little mini fridge right next to the machine, way to small to hold anything _except_ creamer, or maybe a single can of soda. How useless was that? She loved it. 

Ruby was sitting up on the edge of the bed by the time she was done. She was slumped forward, staring at the floor like she was considering just falling flat on her face and going back to sleep. 

Before she could make up her mind, Yang swung the coffee down under her nose, waving it back and forth. It took a moment, but the steam wafted upwards, and Ruby twitched, turning to follow the smell of caffeine. Her hands rose to catch it, and she took a sip. 

She pulled back, glowering down at it. “M’re sugar.” She grumbled. 

Yang lifted an eyebrow. She’d already put three spoonfuls in. “Alright.” She reached to take it back, but Ruby shied away, cradling it protectively. “No. Mine. Get your own.” 

Yang rolled her eyes, throwing up a hand in surrender. “Fine, geez, whatever.” 

She pulled open the window to let the room air out a little, then plopped down at the table, grabbing a plate. She’d waited long enough, and it didn’t seem like Ruby was going to be alive any time soon. 

So she was surprised when she heard footsteps, looking up to see Ruby wandering towards her. She dropped heavily into the seat across from her, hard enough to make the dishes rattle. Grabbing a plate, she dragged it towards her. Her face brightened when she pulled off the lid. “Oooh, curly pasta.” 

She leaned in- then paused, raising a hand to tug at the belt around her throat. She stared at it for a moment- but then just shrugged and left it, only tightening the loop so it was out of the way. 

Goddamn, this girl was awesome. It was enough to make her think that maybe she shouldn’t have left that belt in the bathroom. 

They ate in comfortable silence, and Yang watched Ruby across the table. Once the drowsiness started to fade, she wore the morning after look like a champ. There were a couple hickeys scattered across her chest, and Yang got a little stab of satisfaction when she noticed the bite marks trailing along her inner thighs were still there. 

Eventually, Ruby spoke up. “So. You wrestle?” 

Yang paused, caught off guard. “Um. Not really. Well, kinda?” 

Ruby cocked an eyebrow. “Kinda?” She asked. “You seemed like you knew what you were doing to me.” 

Yang fumbled for a moment, trying to find a good way to explain it. “Not competitively, or anything. I’ve only been doing it a few months. I, ah. I used to box, but my arm got messed up, so I’m trying out some different styles.” 

Ruby set her fork down, furrowing her brow. “Your arm?” Her eyes dropped to Yang’s right arm- the one with the compression sleeve. She hadn’t questioned it staying on before, but it seemed like she was recalculating. “Is it alright? What happened?” 

Yang shifted uncomfortably, feeling a little annoyed with herself. Way to ruin the mood. “It’s fine. Just. Some asshole ran me down with his Lamborghini and took off. I’m alright, but my arm was pretty fucked.” She toyed with the edge of the sleeve, considering. She wasn’t ashamed of it, exactly, but it was kinda heavy for a first date, and she’d been hoping to avoid this conversation for a while longer. But Ruby didn’t look like she was going to be letting the subject drop, so Yang thought, _Screw it_ and tugged it off. 

Ruby gasped aloud at the sight, dropping her plate. Reaching out, she caught Yang’s wrist gently, cradling her arm in her hands. Yang flushed a little in embarrassment but let her. The scar could be a little overwhelming, the first time you saw it. It was as thick around as her finger, and stretched nearly the length of her arm, from her bicep to her forearm. 

Ruby ran her fingers over it softly, like she thought her arm might suddenly shatter if she pressed to hard. Yang shrugged, trying to get her to relax. “It doesn’t hurt much anymore.” She assured her. “The docs say it’s mostly metal now. Makes getting on planes a little awkward.” 

Ruby didn’t laugh. She kept staring, mouth turned down. Yang flexed her hand once, and she jumped, like she was surprised to see it move. 

She let go, sitting back, but still didn’t look away. Her eyebrows pulled together as she frowned, lips tight. “Did they catch him? The guy who hit you?” 

Yang blinked. “Hm? Oh, yeah. Probably would have gotten away, but his girlfriend sold him out. She was in the car with him, told us everything.” Yang leaned back, and made a point to rest on her arm, seeing the way Ruby’s eyes followed it. She really just wanted her to stop staring. “Turns out he was pretty important. He worked with the royal family of Menagerie, and was even dating the Chief’s daughter. Absolutely loaded. I sued him for, like, a billion lien, and with his girlfriend backing me up he didn’t have a chance. So, yeah.” She rolled her shoulder, sending Ruby a grin. “Now he’s in jail and I’m rich, so I’d say it worked out.” 

Ruby’s mouth tugged down. “But you still can’t box.” She said, voice soft and heavy. 

Yang’s grin faltered. Figures Ruby would see straight through her bullshit. She looked away, shrugging awkwardly. “Yeah, well. Kinda hard to box when you only have one and a half arms.” 

Tired of the subject, she flicked her fork towards Ruby, leaning forward and propping her chin on her fist. “What about you? What sports are you into?” Because she obviously played something. 

Ruby blinked at the abrupt shift, but let it slide. “Oh. Uh, track and field. I run the eight-hundred. I also pole vault and long jump, but those aren’t really my focus.” She looked back at her plate, absently skewering a few more bits of pasta with her fork. “I used to play soccer in high school, but stopped when I got to college. Plus a little bit of volleyball. And then, you know. Skating, surfing, diving. All the other stuff everybody does around here.” 

She paused to take a bite. “But like I said, the eight-hundred’s my thing. I got first in state this year, and my coach says I can go to nationals next year, so… Yeah.” She shrugged, nonchalant. 

Yang raised her eyebrows. “Wait, wait. Best in the state? Like, you’re the fastest person in Vale right now? Really?” Damn. Here she was banging a champion and she didn’t even know it. 

Ruby just shrugged again though, unruffled. “It’s not really as impressive as it sounds. Big fish, small pond, yada yada. Nationals are what everyone cares about. Being best in state basically just means you qualify.” 

That sounded a little like bullshit to her. How the hell could being the best in the entire state not be impressive? Still, she let it drop, since she didn’t know anything about track. She went back to her food, pulling the second plate towards her and beginning to shovel it into her mouth with the same gusto as the first. “That’s cool. Maybe you can take me surfing sometime. Never done it before.” 

Ruby hummed consideringly. “When do you have to go back to Mistral?” She asked, and Yang looked up, pausing. Right. She’d forgotten about that. 

She swallowed, shrugging. “Whenever? I mean, I’m not in college anymore, and I don’t really have a job or anything. I’d have to switch gyms, but that’s not hard. And there’s plenty of houses around here.” It still caught her off guard, a little, remembering that, _Oh_ _yeah, I can do that._ A few months ago, the idea of just _buying_ a house on a whim would have been ludicrous. Now, it was barely even a speedbump. 

Ruby stared at her, eyes wide. “What? You- you’d stay? Just like that?” 

Yang flushed and looked away, scratching the back of her head. Talk about showing all your cards, huh. Still, she tried to play it off. “Like I said, no real reason to go back. I don’t need a job.” She swung her arms out, taking in the room. “Obviously. I live with my mom, but that was mostly ‘cause I was broke before, and then I was still recovering. I was planning on moving out soon anyways. And, you know,” She shrugged and looked down, playing with her food. “This place seems pretty cool.” 

“It has its moments.” A slow smile spread across Ruby’s face as she watched her, lips twitching in amusement. “I think you're pretty cool too, Yang.” 

Dang. Her face grew hot and she ducked her head. Point for Ruby. Though, she’d forgotten the score. Whatever it was now, Yang was pretty sure that she was losing. 

Ruby looked away, turning to stare out the window. There was a faint bit of light visible in the sky. She sighed regretfully, bracing her hands on her knees and standing up. The light from the lamps hit her from the side just right, casting shadows that formed valleys on her skin, making Yang stare. “Sorry. I gotta go soon. My dad is going to be heading out in a few minutes, and he’ll probably want me home for today.” 

Yang furrowed her brow, glancing at the little clock on the desk. “It’s not even six.” 

Ruby groaned, flopping back onto the bed dramatically. Yang couldn’t help but follow along with her eyes, watching how the action made her breasts move. “I _know_.” Ruby complained loudly. “He gets up at, like, five, everyday. _Singing_. He’s a monster.” 

Yang huffed a laugh, leaning back in her chair and stretching her legs out. “Yeah, well, I’m going to have to go drag my mom out of bed and get some water in her. If I don’t, she’ll probably just start drinking again. Shower’s open, and I’ll give you a ride home if you want. Or, like, order you a cab.” 

Ruby grunted, heaving herself up. “Thanks. And I’m stealing your clothes.” 

Yang smirked and didn’t object, sitting back to watch her rifle through her suitcase. 

Eventually Ruby leaned back, a pair of skinny jeans and a hoodie clutched in her hands. Probably the only things in there that might come close to fitting her. The hoodie was from college, and had Yang’s name emblazoned across the back in bright yellow. 

Ruby left the door open when she got in the shower. A clear invitation, if ever she saw one. Sadly, Yang had to ignore it. As much fun as it would be to test the hotel’s hot water capacity, they both had stuff to do today. 

Instead, she busied herself with getting dressed. She tossed out her ruined shirt and left her dirty clothes in a pile in the corner, but left Ruby’s clothes on the bed in case she wanted them back. She was just holding up her jacket, wondering if she should wash it before wearing it again, when there was a knock at the door. 

She lowered her arms, frowning and turning to look, wondering who it could be. Maybe it was someone who worked here, come to talk to her about rich-person things. Or maybe her mom had actually decided to come get her herself, instead of just waiting for Yang to wake her up. It was a holiday after all, she thought as she made her way to the door. Miracles could happen. 

Opening it revealed a woman standing in the hall outside. Late thirties, early forties, maybe. Still rocking the hot mom look, even with a few wrinkles and some extra pudge around the hips. Yang paused when she met her eyes, noticing they were silver, the exact same shade as Ruby’s. Huh. What were the chances. 

She was also holding a water bottle and a bottle of pills, though, which threw up a few warning flags. And dressed head to toe in white, because that was normal. She looked vaguely familiar. 

Yang had no idea who she was. 

Her stomach dropped when the woman absolutely lit up the moment she saw her, a wide smile spreading across her face. She even gave a little bounce, bringing her hands together in front of her. “Oh, Yang! It’s wonderful to see you again!” 

Ah, fuck. This was going to be one of those conversations. Please, God, don’t let this woman be someone she’d slept with. Yang held back a grimace, forcing herself to smile. “Hey, yeah. It’s, uh. Good to see you, too.” 

Smooth, Branwen. Smooth. 

The woman didn’t seem upset, though, just laughed and waved a hand dismissively, water sloshing from the motion. “Oh, don’t worry, I know you don’t remember me. You were, oh.” She held her hands up, maybe ten inches apart. “About this big, the last time we met.” 

Ah. So it was one of _those_ conversations. She couldn’t decide if this was better or worse. She leaned against the door frame, scratching her head. “Oh. Uh. Cool?” How was she supposed to respond to that? 

The woman’s smile didn’t waver an inch, unperturbed by her lack of enthusiasm. “I’m Summer Xiao-Long. I married your father after he and Raven broke off their marriage.” 

Oh, **_Fuck_**. It was going to be _this_ conversation? Yang almost just slammed the door shut right there. She physically flinched back, unable to stop the look of horror from spreading across her face as she stared. “Shit.” 

The woman- Summer- laughed like she’d just told the funniest joke she’d ever heard. She bent over, bracing herself against the door frame, and didn’t stop until she was wiping tears from her eyes. 

“Oh- oh, you are _definitely_ Ravens daughter.” She straightened, still giggling. “Not- not to worry, dear. I’m just here to fetch you. Your mother asked me to bring you downstairs. She also asked me to bring these.” She held up the water and pills. “She was looking a little dire when I left, though, so it might be best if we hurry back.” 

Figures. Yang relaxed, feeling relieved. Apparently, her dad had somehow jumped from her mom straight to sunshine incarnate. Talk about whiplash. 

Still, she hesitated. “Uh, there’s actually someone here-” 

A door opened, and Ruby’s voice cut her off, suddenly coming from behind her. “Hey Yang, do you know if this place has got any- _Mom?!_ ” 

Yang turned to see Ruby standing outside the bathroom, wearing the clothing she’d taken in. She was frozen partway through drying her hair, wide eyes jumping between her and Summer rapidly. Yang furrowed her brow, staring at her, baffled. Mom? Who the hell was she calling mom? 

But then Summer spoke up behind her, and Yang went cold. “Ruby! Oh, you two have already met! Is this where you’ve been? You should have called.” 

Yang swallowed, pieces suddenly slotting together. 

Ruby had called her mom. Summer. Summer _Xiao-Long_. Tai Xiao-Long’s wife. Her mom’s ex-husband. Her dad. The one who was currently married to the woman standing in front of her. The one who was Ruby’s mom. 

_Oh shit._

Slowly, she turned to look at Ruby, finding her staring right back. She watched as realization crept across her face, eyes growing wider and wider. 

Yang cleared her throat. “Right.” Her voice squeaked. “Yeah. We, uh. Ran into each other. And hung out. Last night.” 

Their eyes met. Ruby stared, face blank with shock. Yang grimaced, trying to turn it into a grin. 

“Hey, sis.” 

_XxX_

Never in her life had she felt a mood go so sour so fast. And that included being thrown up on. 

The walk down to the lobby was the single most awkward five minutes of her life. She and Ruby stayed as far apart as they could, practically plastered to opposite walls, and looked anywhere but at each other, keeping Summer between them like a wall. One minute in, she started eyeing the windows they passed, wondering if they opened so she could just throw herself out one to get away. 

Summer, bless her pure, naive soul, was completely oblivious. 

“Oh, I’m just so glad that you two get along so well!” She gushed. “Raven and I were positively awful when we first met, and I was worried that you two would be the same.” 

They stopped for the elevator, and Ruby closed her eyes like she was praying. Yang coughed. “Uh. Yeah. We got along great.” So great. _Way_ to great. “We just. Ya know. Talked about our families and stuff.” 

Summer practically glowed. Behind her, Ruby was forming her own storm clouds, staring down at the floor like she was hoping it would swallow her. The elevator opened and Ruby marched inside, focusing on the buttons without looking anywhere else, mashing the button for the ground floor repeatedly. 

The ride was blessedly short. The doors opened and they spilled out into the lobby, exiting the small space as fast as they could. 

Her mom was sitting at a booth with her cheek pressed to the table, looking about as hungover as Yang had expected. Beside her, a slightly bedraggled looking blonde man stood awkwardly, hovering a hand over her like he wanted to pat her on the back but was afraid of being bitten. 

He looked up when they entered, face lighting up with relief. “Summer! And- oh, Ruby! You found her.” 

Summer laughed easily, walking over and sliding into the bench across from her mom, placing the water bottle and pills on the table. “Actually, Yang did. Apparently they met up last night and decided to get away from us boring old people.” 

The man- who was probably her dad, Yang realized- grinned, but her mom’s head shot up from the table, alarm writ large across her face. “What!?” Wide red eyes jumped back and forth between the two of them rapidly, eventually landing on Ruby. More specifically, Yang’s clothes on Ruby. Her face paled even further than it already was. 

Yang chuckled nervously and scratched the back of her head, very, very casually not meeting her gaze. Beside her Ruby did the same, coughing into her fist and looking off to the side, cheeks dusted pink. 

“Oh fuck.” A look of horror spread across her mom’s face, before she slammed her eyes shut, slapping a hand over them. “Fuck. I’m a failure.” She groaned, and dropped her head back to the table with a thump, covering it with her arms. “I’m the worst mother ever.” 

Visibly gathering his courage, the man- Tai, her father- finally lowered his hand, patting her carefully on the shoulder. “It’s not that bad, Raven. Just a hangover. I’ve done way worse.” 

“He’s right, Raven.” Summer leaned forward, obviously concerned. “It’s fine. The girls are adults now, anyways. They can be left alone for one night.” 

In unison, Yang and Ruby slapped a hand across their faces, wincing. 

Luckily, the noise was covered by the sound of her mom’s hands smacking onto the table as she abruptly shoved herself up, making Tai flinch away. 

“I’m getting a drink.” She stated, with the finality of a doctor pronouncing that someone was dead. She pushed past Tai, sending him stumbling back, and strode out the door without a backwards glance. 

Summer and Tai stared after her, surprise and confusion obvious in their expressions. Yang grimaced. “I’ll go after her.” She volunteered, and then power walked towards the door before anyone could object. 

Her mother was already a decent ways away by the time she spotted her, setting a fast pace. Yang merely shoved her hands into her pockets and trailed after her, not in a particular hurry to catch up. They just happened to be heading to the same place. Yang watched her cross the street, obviously angling towards a specific convenience store; one of the few that were open this early. Could always trust her mom to know where the nearest source of alcohol was. 

Yang followed along behind her, giving her plenty of time to gain some distance before entering herself. She wandered towards what passed for a liquor aisle, eyeing the shelves. There wasn’t much- it was just a convenience store, after all- but she was determined. She made to grab something that looked promising, but before she could it was pulled out of her hands, a clear plastic bottle thrust into its place. She looked up to see her mother staring past her, eyes focused on a point somewhere over her shoulder. 

“This is stronger.” Was all she said, before immediately turning and striding away. 

Yang stared after her before looking down, watching the liquid slosh about. Struck by an idea, she made a detour to the refrigeration section and grabbed the biggest water bottle she could before heading to the register. The cashier’s eyebrows rose at the sight of the two of them, looking between them like he was considering an intervention. A pair of identical glares shut him up, though, and instead he rang up their items in silence. The alcohol was horrendously overpriced, but at this point they could have asked her for one of her kidneys and she’d probably hand it over. 

The moment they stepped out the door her mom had the cap off and started gulping it down by the mouthful, looking like she meant to empty it in one go. Yang was slightly more restrained, draining half her water before upending it and dumping the rest on the ground. Then she opened the jug of vodka and transferred it into the now-empty bottle, carefully pouring it in until it was full and chugging whatever was left. It tasted awful, burning her mouth and making her stomach twist. She half hoped it made her sick so she would have an excuse to leave. 

They idled about on opposite ends of the sidewalk, neither of them exactly eager to go back. But after a few minutes of standing in silence, looking anywhere but at each other, Yang finally huffed and set her jaw, turning back to the hotel. Ruby was still in there, and she was probably going to hang herself or something if she just bailed on her. Yang was the one to start this shit rolling; Ruby had been minding her own business until Yang wandered over and started hitting on her like an ass. She at least owed it to Ruby to suffer beside her. 

Her mom glanced up from where she sat slumped on the curb, noted the direction she was headed, then lifted her bottle in a silent salute before tossing it back again. 

So she was on her own. Awesome. 

Summer and Tai turned to look at her when she entered. Ruby glanced up, then turned and continued to stare at the wall. Something hard and heavy rose in her chest, squeezing itself up against her heart, making her chest feel tight. Yang looked away. 

Summer reached up on her toes, whispering something in her husband's ear. He shook his head, only for her to shove him regardless, sending him stumbling forward. He straightened, shooting her a look over his shoulder before sighing and rolling his neck. Then, visibly steeling himself, he turned to focus on Yang. 

Oh. They were doing this now, then. At least they were getting this part out of the way. 

“Hey.” He said, shifting his weight from foot to foot. “I’m, uh, Tai. Xiao-Long. Your father.” And then he stuck out his hand. 

Yang stared for a moment, then huffed a laugh and shook it. “Yeah. I figured.” 

He smiled a little uncertainly, and didn’t stop shaking. “It’s. Nice to meet you?” His voice turned up at the end, making it a question. Yang grinned. “Nice to meet you too.” She said. And then physically pried her hand from his frozen grip. How the hell had this guy ever managed to land her mom. 

Summer was watching from the side, hands clasped together. “Oh, you two are adorable together!” She said, practically with stars in her eyes. 

Yang looked away, rubbing the back of her head. Wow. Absolutely nothing got that woman down, huh? 

Tai cleared his throat. “So. Raven.” He started awkwardly. “Is she… alright?” 

Yang looked up. “Hmm? Oh yeah, no, she’s not coming back.” 

Both their faces dropped a little at that announcement. Summer wrung her hands worriedly. “Is she- is this normal?” She inquired, obviously concerned. “How often does she get like this?” 

Yang tilted back on her heels and tucked her hands into her back pockets, suddenly understanding. “Ah. No, she’s not normally this much of a mess. Like, she’s a wreck, obviously, but she usually has her shit under control. She only really drinks like this when she’s stressed. Or when Qrow’s around.” Though, she may have changed that. She wouldn’t be surprised if her mom devolved into alcoholism after this. 

Summer and Tai looked relieved at that. “Oh, good. The same as always, then.” Summer said. 

Yang paused and gave her a look. Summer had been acting familiar since they met, but she hadn’t really been paying attention before. “You, uh. Know my mom?” 

“Oh, yes.” Summer perked up, smiling indulgently. “Of course Raven wouldn’t tell you about us. We went to school together. She was my roommate, actually.” 

And then she married her ex? That seemed a little wrong. Then again, her mom definitely wasn’t the clingy type. Just the opposite, in fact. 

They both drifted away, apparently long used to this behavior, the conversation already moving on. 

Waiting until they weren’t looking, Yang sidled over to Ruby, who watched her approach with wide eyes. Before she could run away, Yang thrust the bottle forward. 

“Vodka.” She explained, holding it out like a peace offering. 

Ruby kept staring at her for a second before her eyes dropped to the bottle, and she grabbed it with both hands. Tearing the cap off, she brought it to her lips, and Yang jumped. “Careful!” She hissed. “It’s- strong…” She trailed off as Ruby ignored her, taking a massive mouthful. She choked once but didn’t stop, and Yang watched her throat bob up and down as she swallowed. “Damn.” 

Ruby finally pulled away, taking a breath and wiping her wrist across her mouth. “Thanks.” She muttered. And then offered it back to her. 

Yang took it, staring down at the bottle like it held poison. A drop of clear liquid beaded on the rim, trickling down the side. Ruby’s lips had been on this. Her sister’s lips. Lips that tasted like whiskey and strawberry chap stick. The ones she bit down on as they tangled together. The ones that had slipped apart with a gasp, letting her in oh so easily. The ones that had growled as Ruby shoved her down onto her back yet again, curved upwards in a bright red slash against her face as she loomed over her, silver eyes blazing in the dark. That spilled out moans that filled the room when she had her fingers in her, that panted her name as she came- 

Yang clenched her eyes shut and threw her head back, pressing the bottle to her mouth. Was it her imagination, or could she taste a hint of strawberry under the bite of the vodka? Opening her mouth wide, she gagged on the taste and drank in as much as she could, not stopping until her lungs burned and her eyes watered. 

There was a giggle beside her, and she looked over to see Ruby watching her with a grin. She still looked a little grey around the edges, but her eyes were bright again for the first time since they’d left the room, dancing with laughter, and they caught her just like they had back at the bar. Without thinking, Yang grinned back. 

“Uh. Hey.” 

They both looked over, noticing Tai watching them. He was sitting at the booth her mom had been at before. He raised a hand, and then dropped it, shifting. “We ordered food. If you're hungry.” 

Yang drifted over, stopping next to the table. “Ah. Thanks, but no. We already ate.” And the last thing she wanted right now was more food. 

She eyed the booth. Small, contained space. Two people she didn’t know. One she knew way to well. 

This was going to suck. 

Taking a deep breath, Yang sat down. 

And immediately regretted it when she watched Summer slide in next to Tai. Which left only one seat open. She could practically hear Ruby’s mind grinding to a halt. 

Fuck. This had been a terrible idea. 

Ruby gingerly sat on the edge of the bench, leaving as much room as possible between them. It wasn’t nearly enough. 

Tai shifted and coughed, looking at her awkwardly. “So. Uh. You two got to know each other last night?” 

Yang clamped down on the burst of frantic laughter that tried to escape. “That’s- yeah. We definitely did.” 

She got to know the way Ruby groaned as she came for the dozenth time in an hour, face screwing up tight. The way her hips trembled when Yang bit the inside of her thigh. That she had a mean right hook, and a kick that could send her flying. The way her teeth felt as they sank into Yang’s shoulder from behind, pressing her face into the mattress before dragging her head back by her hair, leaving her gasping as her vision flashed white, electricity dancing under her skin- 

“We went down by the beach.” Ruby said. “I took her to a few of the places I like to hang out at. I showed her some- turtles…” Ruby stumbled, trailing off weakly, and Yang giggled desperately. “Little turtles.” She choked out, managing to only sound slightly deranged. God, she was falling apart.

Ruby jumped, sending her a wide eyed look of shock, and Yang swallowed hard, managing to wrestle herself under control.

She had to get out of here. Now. 

“Actually.” Yang said loudly, shoving herself to her feet and cutting off whatever Tai had been saying, suddenly remembering that she had an out. “I have to go pick up my bike. I left it parked on the curb last night, and I don’t want it to get towed.” 

Thankfully, Ruby was, still, on the same wavelength as her and immediately got up, letting her out. Summer, the absolute angel, cried out in disappointment, looking honestly upset at the thought of her leaving. Yang smiled apologetically and didn’t slow, moving towards the door as fast as she could without it looking like she was running away like the coward that she absolutely was. 

Just as she laid her hand on the handle, however, Ruby suddenly leapt up. “I’ll go with you.” She burst out, and Yang actually turned back, twisting around to stare. Summer brightened, clapping delightedly and smiling. “Oh, yes! You two should get to know each other better. Ruby, you can show her the way to the house later, yes?” 

Ruby nodded along without looking back, tossing a rushed ‘Love you mom, bye’ over her shoulder. Yang could only stare as she got closer and closer, frozen. 

Ruby shot her a wide eyed look that’s meaning went completely over her head. A moment later Ruby rolled her eyes and gave up on subtlety, resorting to shoving Yang repeatedly to get her out the door, hissing “ _Go, go, go_!” under her breath. 

She didn’t stop after the door was closed behind them, continuing to hustle her forward until they were all the way out of the parking lot, standing on the sidewalk. Only then did she finally let her arms drop and step back, shoving her hands into her pockets with a sigh of relief, looking away awkwardly. “Sorry. I just… had to get out of there.” 

Yang stared. Mostly because her mind was still in the process of stalling, unable to comprehend the idea that Ruby was actually, willing choosing to spend time with her. She shook herself, trying to snap out of it. “It’s cool. I don’t mind.” 

It wasn’t even a lie. Even now, she still couldn't make herself dislike being around Ruby. Mostly, she’d just assumed that Ruby was going to run for the hills the first chance she got. Hesitantly, she started walking, wondering if Ruby would follow. “I, ah, wasn’t really planning on going back, though.” 

Ruby snorted, falling in step. “ _Duh_. That’s the point.” She said, and Yang huffed in amusement. 

They lapsed into silence after that. Heavy and unwieldy, she felt it settle around them, weighing down on her shoulders. They stayed apart; a careful distance held between them, seeming far greater than the width of the sidewalk would allow. Ruby kept her eyes on the ground, not even glancing in her direction. A chilly wind blew past, cutting through her clothing and raising goosebumps on her arms. She shivered a little and pulled her elbows in, turning her head away to look out at the street. 

It was the same street they had walked down last night, Yang realized. For a moment it was like she was back there, wandering down the sidewalk with Ruby tucked under her arm, pressing kisses to her nose as she sputtered and laughed, crimson streetlamps glowing above their heads. She blinked and the vision was gone, leaving her cold. 

Ruby was the one to break the silence. “So. Does your mom…?” 

“Know?” Yang finished, grimacing. “Yeah. She knows what ‘hanging out’ for the night means with me.” 

Ruby grimaced and looked down, snubbing the toe of her sandal against the road. “Damn it.” Her shoulders dropped and she huffed, blowing out a breath. “This sucks.” 

She fiddled with the buckle of her belt, almost like she wanted to take it off. Looking closer, Yang realized it was the same one that had been wrapped around Ruby’s neck earlier. The sight of it made something indescribable lurch up in her stomach. Indescribable, because she immediately crushed it back down before it finished forming. Despite that, she had a pretty good idea what it was going to be. 

Ruby sighed and let her hands drop, stuffing them into the pocket of her hoodie. She kicked at a rock, hunching her back. Her head hung low, drooping nearly to her chest, and her mouth turned down. It was the most miserable Yang had ever seen her. And yeah, that only included about twelve hours, total, but she still knew that expression had no place on Ruby’s face. 

Yang straightened and forced her lips to turn up, making her voice light. “Well, there’s worse things than finding out your related to someone who’s rich.” 

The joke missed by a country mile, flopping awkwardly into the space between them. Ruby only frowned harder, raising her head. Their eyes met for a moment before she dropped them again, trailing down to looking at Yang’s feet. “There’s better things, too.” She said quietly, turning her face away. 

Oh.

Damn. 

Carefully, Yang caught her arm, tugging her to a stop. “Hey.” Even through the fabric of the hoodie, she could feel Ruby’s skin burning under her hand. Her fingers clenched reflexively before she made them relax. “It’ll be fine. We’ll, you know. Work it out.” 

Ruby laughed incredulously. “I don’t think this is the kind of shit we just ‘work out’, Yang.” The words were hard and bitter, and her lips twisted up like she’d bitten something sour. “Where would we even start?” 

Yang swallowed, scrambling for something to say back. Anything. “We, uh. You can teach me to surf.” 

Well. It was something. 

At least it got Ruby to finally look up, if only to stare at her in confused disbelief. “I- what? How is that supposed to help?” 

"It isn’t. I just wanna surf.” The words slipped out before her mind caught up. The second she said it she clamped her mouth shut, nearly swallowing her tongue. 

But Ruby laughed, a little, the tense line of her shoulders relaxing. She blinked at Yang for a moment, and then shrugged, a smile playing around her lips. “Sure. Fuck it. Let’s go surfing.” 

Tension bled out of her, and she grinned back, relieved. “Awesome. Let’s go.” 

“We don’t have swim suits.” Ruby pointed out, tugging at her hoodie. And Yang _really_ didn’t need the reminder that Ruby didn’t have a shirt on under that. 

“I’ll buy some.” It would hardly be the most money she’d spent since getting here. Of course, that also meant that Ruby would be _wearing_ said swim suit, and oh God, she hadn’t thought this through. 

“Cool. There’s a beach about an hour from here that always has good waves.” Ruby said, turning and starting away. 

An hour? Yang paused, glancing towards at her. “I, uh. I only have a motorcycle.” 

Ruby apparently missed the problem entirely, waving a hand dismissively without slowing. “Whatever. We’ll rent boards when we get there.” 

Shit. She didn’t know if she could handle an hour with Ruby on her bike. She was already regretting this idea. But, Ruby seemed to have finally shaken off that cloud that had been hanging over her. Even as she watched Ruby’s back straightened a little more, her head rising, and Yang didn’t have the heart to stop her. 

Ruby glanced back, giving her a little smile over her shoulder. It was small, and a little forced, but real nonetheless. “Come on, rich girl. You’re buying.” She called back, and she just had to follow. Once again, Yang found herself being towed along behind her, caught in her wake, and she couldn’t tell if she wanted to start laughing or crying. 

Goddammit. She was _so_ _fucking_ **_fucked_** _._

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be 5k words.  
> .  
> I really don't like the last bit of this, starting from when Summer shows up. It's basically a Frankenstein-type monster, patched together from six different drafts.  
> But I only just finished this last night, and I needed to sleep, so this is what you get. Maybe I'll fix it one day.  
> 
> 
> Also, if anyone is wondering, the drink 'Two Roses' is just a rip off of the actual whiskey called 'Four Roses'. Try it, it's pretty good.
> 
> .
> 
> Since people are asking, I do have vague plans for a second chapter, but I haven't even really started writing it. It probably will get a follow up eventually, but not for a while yet.


End file.
